1.Cartaracts

In Uganda, cataracts are the leading cause of blindness - responsible for an estimated 57.7% of all blindness cases nationally, and 49.4% of both-eye vision loss bilateral blindness cases in Western Uganda according to a 2023 RAAB survey. Despite being treatable, lack of awareness remains the biggest barrier to surgery.

Cataracts are one of the most widely occurring eye problems. The development of cloudy regions in the eye lens causes cataracts. Light passes through a healthy eye lens to your retina, where images are created. With cataracts affecting your eye lens, light cannot pass through to the retina easily enough.

The signs and symptoms of Cataracts are as follows:

• Clouded vision
• Low visibility at night
• Faded colours
• Problem in viewing intense light and glare
• Seeing halos

You need to protect your eyes to prevent or delay cataracts. Some key steps that you can take include:

• Wear sunglasses and a hat to block the sun or extra brightness
• Avoid drinking alcohol and smoking
• Eat green leafy vegetables such as spinach and collard greens
• Get your eye checked regularly every year if you are above 60 years

Treatment of cataracts depends upon your condition and the growth of cataracts:

• Home Treatment: If diagnosed early, you can incorporate small preventive changes in your lifestyle to manage cataracts.
• New Glasses: New prescription eyeglasses will reduce strain on your eyes and help you see better with cataracts.
• Surgery: This is the only sure way to get rid of cataracts. The surgical process is safe and effective. Your optometrist may suggest surgery if the cataract is hampering your everyday activities such as reading, walking, driving, etc. During surgery, the clouded lens is replaced with an intraocular lens, which is an artificial lens.

2.Macular Degeneration

Age-Related Macular Degeneration or AMD is an eye issue related to ageing and harms sharp and focal vision. Focal vision is required for seeing objects clearly and for everyday tasks like working and driving. AMD affects the macula, the central part of the retina that permits the eye to see fine detail. There are two types of AMD - dry and wet.

The signs and symptoms of Age-Related Macular Degeneration are as follows:

• Blurred vision
• Partial vision loss
• Formation of blind spots
• Low visibility in dim light
• Changed size of objects

Prevention and Treatment

The treatment you will receive will depend on the stage and type of AMD. Your doctor will keep track of your condition with regular eye exams and keep you updated. Meanwhile, you can:

• Eat green leafy vegetables
• Perform physical exercises
• Avoid smoking or drinking

Doctors prescribe special dietary supplements in intermediate dry AMD, which will stop your condition from worsening further. These may also help slow down the AMD in one eye if you have late dry AMD in another. Currently, there is no treatment available for late dry AMD.

Treatments that will be able to help in wet AMD are:

• Medicines: Anti-VEGF injections
• PDT: Photodynamic therapy or PDT combines laser treatment and injections. It is a two-step treatment in which abnormal blood vessels are damaged using laser treatment, and then a drug is injected. Afterwards, with the help of a cold laser, the drug is activated, which damages the abnormal vessels further.

3.Glaucoma

In Uganda, glaucoma accounts for around 11.7% of blindness cases among older adults, making it the third most common cause of blindness after cataracts and refractive error. Because it often has no early symptoms, it is one of the most dangerous eye related problems to leave undetected.

Glaucoma is an eye condition where the eye's optic nerve is harmed, deteriorating over time. Generally, it brings about pressure build-up inside the liquid in your eye, which can damage the optic nerve responsible for sending images to your brain. This increased pressure is also referred to as eye pressure intraocular pressure, and can lead to permanent vision loss.

The signs and symptoms of Glaucoma are as follows:

• Peripheral vision loss
• Tunnel vision
• Itchy eyes
• Sudden visual disturbance
• Redness in eyes

Prevention and Treatment

There is no cure for glaucoma, and early treatment is the only way to improve your condition. Therefore, a comprehensive dilated eye exam is required as early as possible. Your doctor will start treatment right away to stop your disease from getting worse.

• Medicines: Prescription eye drops help in regulating eye pressure. They prevent further damage to the optic nerve by lowering the eye pressure.
• Laser Treatment: Doctors may use laser treatment to drain the fluid to lower the eye pressure.
• Surgery: If medicines and laser treatment do not achieve the desired results, your optometrist may suggest surgery to drain the fluid from your eye.

Glaucoma is a severe eye condition that may cause permanent vision loss if left untreated. Be sure to take all the medicines prescribed by the doctor. Go for regular eye check-ups and inform the doctor about the side effects of the treatment, if any. Glaucoma also runs in families, so encourage your family members to get their eye exam as early as possible.

4.Myopia (Nearsightedness)

Myopia and other refractive errors are among the most common eye problems in Uganda, particularly in school-age children. A study of secondary school students in Kampala found refractive errors behind 15.2% of visual impairment cases, with myopia accounting for 9.4% of students examined.

This eye condition refers to nearsightedness - when you can easily see objects near you while getting a blurry vision of items far away. This happens because of irregular bending of light due to the shape of your eye. The resulting images are focused in front of your retina instead of directly on it.

The signs and symptoms of myopia are as follows:

• Blurred vision for distant objects
• Eyestrain
• Severe headache
• Difficulty in viewing distant objects

Myopia can be corrected with prescription glasses or contact lenses. Book an eye test at your nearest Optica Uganda branch to get your prescription checked.

5.Hyperopia (Farsightedness)

Unlike nearsightedness, hyperopia or farsightedness is an eye problem where you have clear vision when looking at objects far away but get a blurred image of close objects. If you regularly feel tiredness in your eyes, combined with problems focusing on nearby articles, you may be experiencing hyperopia.

The signs and symptoms of hyperopia are as follows:

• Blurred vision for close objects
• Headache
• Tiredness of eyes
• Difficulty in viewing things nearby

6.Astigmatism

When your vision loses focus because of an unusually curved cornea (the primary tissue covering the front of the eye), this eye disorder is referred to as astigmatism or keratoconus. Individuals with a family history of astigmatism are highly susceptible to this eye problem. A Kampala study found astigmatism in 5.1% of secondary school students examined - making it one of the more common sight problems in Ugandan youth.

The signs and symptoms of astigmatism are as follows:

• Distorted vision
• Disturbed visibility at night
• Headache
• Eyestrain

Astigmatism can be corrected with prescription glasses or contact lenses fitted by an Optica Uganda optician.

7.Presbyopia

The human eye's failure to focus on nearby objects due to progressive vision loss is referred to as presbyopia - an eye disease typically connected with ageing. Generally, it stays unnoticeable until the mid-40s and continues with ageing until around 65 years. Most people become aware of presbyopia when they need to hold reading materials further away to see them clearly.

The signs and symptoms of presbyopia are as follows:

• Blurred vision
• Inability to read
• Eyestrain
• Headache

Presbyopia is commonly managed with bifocal or progressive lenses. Ask an Optica Uganda optician which option suits your prescription.

8.Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is a diabetes-related eye problem that damages the blood vessels spread throughout the light-sensitive tissues of the retina at the back of the eye. Anyone with type 1 or type 2 diabetes can develop this eye condition, particularly those who have had diabetes for a long time with fluctuating glucose levels. Usually, both eyes are affected.

The signs and symptoms of diabetic retinopathy are as follows:

• Floaters in vision
• Vision loss
• Fluctuating vision focus
• Impaired colour recognition
• Dark spots in vision

Prevention and Treatment

The best possible way to prevent diabetic retinopathy is to managing diabetes maintain your diabetes:

• Maintain blood sugar levels
• Eating healthy
• Physical activity
• Lower cholesterol intake
• Maintaining blood pressure levels

Treatment involves stopping your vision from getting any worse:

• Medicines: Injections called anti-VEGF drugs help to reduce or reverse diabetic retinopathy.
• Laser Treatment: An optometrist will use laser surgery to reduce swelling in your retina by shrinking blood vessels and stopping leakage.
• Vitrectomy: An eye surgery recommended if there is heavy bleeding in the retina or significant scarring.

9.Dry Eyes Syndrome

One of the functions of tears is to keep your eyes wet and lubricated. When they fail to give satisfactory lubrication, you are affected by dry eyes syndrome. From your body being unable to create enough tears to producing poor-quality tears, there can be many reasons for insufficient lubrication.

The signs and symptoms of dry eyes syndrome are as follows:

• Burning sensation in eyes
• Eye redness
• Eye fatigue
• Low vision
• Eye infection

10.Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis, also referred to as pink eye, is a condition that inflames the tissues lining the back of your eyelids and covering your sclera (conjunctiva). Your eyes can turn irritated, red, foggy, teary, and discharging - giving a false feeling that something is in your eyes. It is one of the most commonly occurring eye problems.

The signs and symptoms of conjunctivitis are as follows:

• Redness of eyelid
• Swelling of conjunctiva
• Excessive tearing
• Burning eyes
• Thick yellow discharge from eyes

11.Retinal Detachment

When the retina is separated from its primary tissues inside the eye, this is referred to as retinal detachment. Sometimes, the problem starts with a smaller region of the retina being torn - referred to as retinal tears or retinal breaks - leading to detachment.

The signs and symptoms of retinal detachment are as follows:

• Appearance of floaters
• Sudden light flashes
• Vision blur
• Steadily receding vision

12.Uveitis

This is the name collectively given to a group of eye diseases affecting the uvea, the eye's middle layer containing the most blood vessels. Uveitis may also bring complete damage to eye tissue, leading to loss of eyesight in some cases. The symptoms of uveitis might disappear quickly or persist for some time.

The signs and symptoms of Uveitis are as follows:

• Pain in the eyes
• Sensitivity to intense light
• Eye redness
• Vision blur

13.Eye Strain

One of the most commonly existing eye problems, eye strain refers to a condition where your eyes become tired and exhausted because of heavy use - for example, after staring at a screen for an extended period or driving long distances. Eye strain can be very uncomfortable but does not usually cause lasting damage to your eyes or vision.

The signs and symptoms of eye strain are as follows:

• Tiredness of eyes
• Dry eyes
• Headache
• Double vision

14.Nyctalopia (Night Blindness)

Nyctalopia or night blindness is a vision problem where individuals cannot see properly at night or in other dimly lit conditions. Night blindness does not mean you cannot see at all in the dark - you may simply experience increased difficulty seeing or driving in places with low lighting.

The signs and symptoms of night blindness are as follows:

• Increased difficulty in seeing objects in the dark
• Vision blur in the absence of adequate light

15.Colour Blindness

Colour blindness, also called colour deficiency, is an eye condition where you cannot see colours in the typical way. Red-green colour blindness is the most widely recognised type, where an individual cannot distinguish between red and green tones.

The signs and symptoms of colour blindness are as follows:

• Trouble in differentiating colours
• Difficulty in seeing different shades or tones
• Wrong identification of colours

16.Eye Floaters

Eye floaters are spots in your vision - dark or dim bits, strings, or spider webs that float around as your eyes move. They are mostly created because of age-related changes in the  eye gel vitreous, the semi-solid substance inside your eyes, as it becomes increasingly fluid over time.

The signs and symptoms of eye floaters are as follows:

• The appearance of dark strings in vision
• Dark spots in vision
• High visibility of spots against plain bright surfaces

17.Proptosis

18.Strabismus (Crossed Eyes)

Strabismus, or crossed eyes, refers to misaligned eyes pointing in different directions. This misalignment can be irregular or consistent. Strabismus exists in four typical forms - exotropia, esotropia, hypotropia, and hypertropia. It usually happens because the muscles controlling eye movement fail to work in a coordinated way.

The symptoms of Strabismus are:

• Double vision
• Inability to focus on specific points
• Uncoordinated eye movement
• Loss of depth perception

19.Macular Edema

The macula is the central area of the retina, responsible for sharp, straight-ahead vision. Macular edema refers to an unwanted accumulation of fluid in the macula. Any collection of fluids causes swelling and thickening of the macula, which leads to distorted vision.

The signs and symptoms of Macular Edema are as follows:

• Wavy or blurry vision
• Faded colours
• Partial vision loss
• Itchy eyes

Conclusion

Eyes are sensitive and complex organs that need regular care. Uganda's Ministry of Health estimates over 400,000 people are blind in the country, with a further 1 million living with visual impairment - the majority from conditions that are preventable or correctable with early diagnosis.

Not taking care of your eyes can lead to an eye problem, or several sight problems at once. Early attention to eyesight problems makes a significant difference to outcomes.

Along with caring for your eyes personally, stay alert to any signs and symptoms and visit an optician for a check so that your eyes get professional care before it is too late. If you wish to avoid common eye problems and address any eye related problems early, book an eye test at your nearest Optica Uganda branch. Optica Uganda's optometrists are available across the country to help with vision problems of all kinds. You can also browse our full range of prescription frames and contact lenses online.