Did you know that eye diseases are related to genetic factors within the family? According to the Cleveland Clinic,


more than 60% of blindness cases among infants are caused by inherited visual illnesses. More than 40% of patients with forms of strabismus have a hereditary history of the disease. If you’re a parent who has vision


problems, it is crucial to schedule your child for regular eye exams. Early detection helps experts diagnose the medical issue and develop a treatment plan that may lessen the symptoms. Learn more about common diseases that affect our vision that is primarily due to genetics.


STRABISMUS AND AMBLYOPIA Strabismus, or more com-monly


known as crossed eyes, is most common in children and affects between 2-4% of America’s population, according to the Boston Children’s


4 Healthy You: a guide to well-being


Hospital. A diagnosis of the condition can happen at birth or the issue can develop over time. In addition to a formation due to genetics, the problem may occur after an accident or other health problems. A severe consequence of leaving


strabismus untreated is the development of amblyopia, or lazy eye. The situation can be aggravated and leads to longterm damage when vision doesn’t normally form during childhood due to the eyes being unaligned.


MYOPIA AND HYPEROPIA The organization Prevent Blindness


says refractive errors occur if the eye cannot focus light correctly on the retina. Two of the most common types of these issues include: •Myopia. Also known as nearsightedness, the eyeball is too


long for the eye’s standard focusing power. It results in a blurry view of images that far away.


•Hyperopia. Commonly called farsightedness, the eyeball is too short to maximize focus, meaning distant are visible while viewing nearby images is challenging.


Corrective treatments for refractive


errors usually include eyeglasses, contacts or surgery.


ASTIGMATISM Another vision problem that is


related to genetics is astigmatism. It develops when the cornea of the eye has an irregular shape, often leading to blurry sight. Harvard Health states that other symptoms include double vision, headaches from eye strain and squinting. While the condition is not preventable, treatments like glasses or LASIK surgery can cure the issue.


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