The most common causes of vision loss include:

• Cataracts: Clouding of the eye's natural lens.
• Glaucoma: Damage to the optic nerve, often due to high eye pressure.
• Macular Degeneration: Deterioration of the central part of the retina.
• Diabetic Retinopathy: Damage to the blood vessels in the retina caused by diabetes.
• Uncorrected Refractive Errors: Nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism that can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses.

Regular eye check-ups are crucial for several reasons:

• Early Detection: Many eye diseases, like glaucoma, show no early symptoms. Regular exams can detect them before significant vision loss occurs.
• Vision Correction: Ensure your prescription for glasses or contact lenses is up-to-date.
• Overall Health: Eye exams can reveal signs of other health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and even some brain tumors.
• Preventative Care: Helps maintain optimal eye health and prevent future problems.

To maintain good eye health, consider these steps:

• Eat a Balanced Diet: Include foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins C and E, zinc, and lutein (e.g., leafy greens, fish, nuts).
• Wear Sunglasses: Protect your eyes from harmful UV rays.
• Avoid Smoking: Smoking increases the risk of cataracts, macular degeneration, and optic nerve damage.
• Manage Chronic Conditions: Control diabetes and high blood pressure, which can affect vision.
• Give Your Eyes a Break: Follow the 20-20-20 rule if you use a computer frequently (every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds).
• Practice Good Hygiene: Wash hands before touching eyes, replace contact lenses as advised.

Cataracts are a clouding of the eye's natural lens, which lies behind the iris and pupil. This clouding leads to blurred vision, sensitivity to light, and difficulty seeing at night. The primary treatment for cataracts is surgery, where the cloudy lens is removed and replaced with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL).

Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve, often caused by abnormally high pressure in your eye. It is a leading cause of blindness for people over 60. Symptoms can vary depending on the type and stage of glaucoma but often include:

• No early symptoms (most common type, open-angle glaucoma).
• Gradual loss of peripheral vision.
• Tunnel vision in advanced stages.
• Sudden onset of eye pain, blurred vision, headaches, and nausea (for acute angle-closure glaucoma).