spy with my little eye something beginning with … CSCR.

That’s central serous chorioretinopathy.

It’s a thing that happens when fluid leaks and builds up under the retina – the light-sensitive layer of the eye where the image is formed, akin to the film in an old-timey camera – which then causes vision distortion. Its cause? Uncertain, but probably, and quite surprisingly: stress. Elevated stress levels can lead to a higher level of the cortisol hormone in your body which is believed to then mess up your vision. Before you know it, you’re walking around with a pesky doughnut-shaped shadow in your sightline and cursing your very existence. Such fun.

The point, dear reader, is that you have to value your eyes and take care of your sight or you could end up with any of a number of conditions that could make your life – both literally and metaphorically – significantly darker.

What could possibly
go wrong?

Plenty.

There are several eye conditions and disorders that compel people to visit an ophthalmologist. “The most common eye disorder that patients routinely present is refractive error, decreased visual acuity for which they need glasses,” Dr. Usama Javaid – the consultant eye surgeon at Doctors Hospital and Medical Center in Lahore – tells Instep.

“Also common are allergic conditions that lead to redness, watering, and itching in the eyes; some are seasonal, some caused by environmental changes, use of cosmetics, contact lenses, and so on. Other than that, there are bacterial and viral infections that can affect different parts of the outer eye – the lids, the conjunctiva – and that cause redness, watering, and foreign body sensation as well as discharge and sticky eyes.”

Then there is glaucoma (increased intraocular pressure), blepharitis or eyelid inflammation, traumas, injuries, ulcers. Complications because of diabetes and hypertension are also common. Plus there are several issues that appear with age, like cataract (in which the natural lens of the eye becomes cloudy) and age related macular degeneration (in which damage to the central part of the retina leads to rapid central vision loss).

Eye trouble doesn’t just come about with old age though. Even children can have refractive issues and there are conditions that can affect youngsters as well. “In children and teens, typically those with allergies or other underlying conditions, there is a disorder in which the cornea – the outer covering of the eye – starts to become weak,” Dr. Usama states. “This is called keratoconus, and it is a progressive disease that usually stabilizes by the 30s, but if there is rapid progression before that then treatment is required.”

With that long list of potential ailments, it comes as little surprise that, according to the World Health Organization, at least 2.2 billion people on the planet we call Earth have a near or distance vision impairment, almost half of whom have issues that “could have been prevented or have yet to be addressed”.

Dr. Usama advises addressing any problems as soon as the first signs of eye trouble – decreased vision (both sudden and gradual),watering, redness, irritation,blurring, flashes, floaters – surface, and once you are diagnosed with a condition, getting a regular checkup every 6 months (or sooner for patients with diabetes and hypertension or with severe changes in sight) to monitor the progression.

What can you do
about it?

A lot.

Dr. Usama advises addressing any problems as soon as the first signs of eye trouble – decreased vision (both sudden and gradual), watering, redness, irritation, blurring, flashes, floaters – surface, and once you are diagnosed with a condition, getting a regular checkup every 6 months (or sooner for patients with diabetes and hypertension or with severe changes in sight) to monitor the progression.

And the ophthalmologist suggests adopting better lifestyle habits that will improve eye health and make eye damage less likely.

Reducing your screen time, he says, can be a major step in the right direction. “If someone has a job that requires spending a lot of time in front of a screen, be it a mobile, laptop, or computer, then the recommendation is that they should take a 5 to 10 minute break after every hour or so in which they should relax, look away from screens, focus on something at a distance (like out of a window), and close and massage their eyes.”

Keeping your eyes and face clean can also help. Chances of infection and inflammation, the doctor reveals, can be reduced by taking care of the hygiene of the eye. “Improving eye hygiene can improve bacterial and viral infections. Wash your eyes 3 to 4 times a day, especially the part where the eyelashes are, so that nothing accumulates there. Use contact lenses for the specified time period only and then remove and clean them in the cleaning solution, never with tap water. Also treat oily skin and dandruff.”

Diet, as you would expect, certainly has an effect on your sight. A healthy diet that includes green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, fish, and almonds can benefit your vision. And moringa – a plant that is believed to have bioactive properties – is also potentially beneficial for the eyes. “As a whole, moringa is good for the body, but it is especially good for the eyes,” Dr. Usama says. “There are some studies that suggest that people who have age related changes in vision or are developing cataract, moringa can slow it down.”

Other recommendations? If someone has allergies, then they should stay away from that stimulant. Diabetics and hypertensives should keep their conditions in check. Protective eye gear should be worn when needed. Parents should pay attention to refractive error in children, get a baseline examination of the child’s eyesight when they start school, and get kids glasses as soon as they are prescribed to avoid conditions like lazy eye. Take action as soon as required; denial won’t make the issue go away.

And yes, banishing stress can also keep eye trouble at bay. “Stress level has both a direct and indirect effect,” Dr. Usama explains. “Directly, some eye diseases are produced by stress; if we decrease stress, we reduce their chances. Indirectly, stress levels cause sleep disturbance and behavioural and routine changes which can exacerbate preexisting diseases that can affect the eye.” So keeping your stress levels down can potentially save you from a whole lot of agony, for it is not fun to have a phantom doughnut invading your vision at all times. Trust me on that one!