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Eye conditions: what you need to know

Our eyes are complex, and can be vulnerable to conditions that affect our vision and eye health. Here you can learn about the conditions Sightsavers helps to treat and prevent.

Eye surgeon Benyamen tests a patient's eyes for symptoms of trachoma. © Sightsavers/Jason Mulikita

Our eyes play a crucial role in our daily lives, helping us to understand and enjoy the world around us.

However, they can also be affected by a range of health conditions. These can cause pain and vision impairments, and some can lead to permanent blindness.

Understanding these common eye conditions is essential for maintaining good eye health and knowing when to seek treatment when it’s needed. Some of these eye conditions, such as trachoma and cataracts, must be diagnosed and treated quickly to prevent vision loss.

A diagram showing the parts of the eye, including the cornea, lens, iris and ciliary muscle at the front of the eye, plus the aqueous humour. At the rear, it shows the sclera, choroid, retina and optic nerve. The vitreous humour is in the centre.
This diagram shows the parts of the eye. Learn how the eyes work

Eye conditions we treat and prevent

Trachoma is the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness. It’s easy to prevent, but the World Health Organization estimates 1.5 million people are visually impaired because of the disease.

Trachoma is caused by a bacterial infection, and can be treated with antibiotics. But if it’s not treated, repeated infections cause scar tissue to build up inside the eyelids. This pulls the eyelashes inwards so they scrape against the eye, causing incredible pain and, eventually, sight loss.

More about trachoma

Cataracts are caused by a build-up of protein in the lens of the eye, which can lead to blurred vision, sensitivity to light and eventual blindness.

More than 12 million people worldwide are blind because of cataracts. They often affect older people, but in poorer countries, they cause sight loss in thousands of children. Thankfully, a straightforward operation can treat the condition.

More about cataracts

Nearly half of all visual impairments are caused by refractive errors. These include long-sightedness, short-sightedness, and astigmatism.

Imperfections in the shape of the eye can cause blurred vision, but glasses can correct them if needed. However, this condition can be a problem in low-income countries, where people may not be able to afford the eye tests or glasses they need to improve their sight.

More about refractive errors

This parasitic infection causes serious skin irritation and can lead to permanent blindness. However, it can be treated with antibiotics, which stops the infection from spreading and prevents sight loss.

River blindness spreads through bites from infected black flies that live near fast-flowing rivers. This often forces people to move away from fertile river valleys, leaving them unable to grow crops. About 1.1 million people around the world are blind because of this disease.

More about river blindness

Glaucoma is caused by a build-up of pressure inside the eye. This damages the optic nerve that connects the eye to the brain.

About 4.5 million people around the world are blind because of glaucoma, making it the third-highest cause of blindness worldwide. The condition can be difficult to diagnose because symptoms develop slowly over many years, and don’t appear straight away.

More about glaucoma

This eye disease is caused by high blood sugar and high blood pressure. It can damage the blood vessels in the eye, eventually leading to blindness.

People who have diabetes are also at higher risk of developing other eye problems, including cataracts and glaucoma. Keeping blood sugar levels, blood pressure and cholesterol levels under control can prevent diabetes-related vision problems.

More about diabetic retinopathy

How Sightsavers is improving eye health

At Sightsavers, we work hard to prevent avoidable blindness. With the support of our partners, we’re improving eye health in communities across Africa and Asia.

Since our work began in 1950, we’ve helped to provide more than nine million cataract operations, and we’ve helped to distribute more than a billion treatments for diseases such as trachoma and river blindness.

We also work with governments to make health care more inclusive, so it is available to everyone, and we teach communities about the importance of eye tests and good hygiene.

Clear vision can improve education, employment and overall quality of life. Together with our partners and supporters like you, we’re working towards a future where no one suffers from avoidable blindness, and where everyone can get the eye care they need. Learn more about how we protect sight

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