A healthy eye lens (cornea) is rounded to filter light in and provide focused vision. As light enters the cornea of an imperfect eye, one with astigmatism, it isn’t able to provide the same kind of focus. The imperfect lens usually has some type of defect, like having a flat area that doesn’t allow it to reflect light.

Astigmatism is a fairly common condition. In fact, most people have an astigmatism to some degree, but for most people it is not severe enough to interfere with their vision. It often accompanies either farsightedness or nearsightedness, causing a refractive error. Severe curvature of flat parts of the cornea most likely need to be repaired to establish clear vision.

A routine eye exam is necessary to detect astigmatisms and come up with a solution to solve the issue. This is especially important for kids, whose astigmatisms aren’t usually found until they are school aged and having trouble learning due to and reading problems, trouble reading the board and squinting to make sense of the work.

Common symptoms of astigmatisms include:

• Blurred distance vision
• Squinting
• Eye strain
• Fatigue
• Sensitivity to light
• Headaches

Treatment for astigmatism is generally the use of glasses or corrective lenses, which have come a long way in recent years. The other option is to have surgery to either repair the natural lens or replace it with an artificial one.

There isn’t a known cause at this point, but a majority of astigmatisms are present at birth, leading to the belief that it is genetic.

Pink eye is a fairly common condition that is contagious, but does not cause vision loss or long-term damage to the eye. What happens is the outer layer of the eye (conjunctavitis) gets inflamed and all of the bloods vessels show up in the white part of the eye.

Causes of pink eye are:

• Infection in the respiratory tract
• Allergies
• Bacterial Infection
• Chemical reaction

Signs of pink eye include:

• Redness
• Swelling
• Watery eyes
• Pussing
• Crusting
• Itching
• Feeling gritty
• Mild pain
• Inability to open eyelids, especially when waking up

The best advice is to simply control the symptoms and prevent spreading it. Use caution when going in public and practice a higher level of consciousness when it comes to hand washing and sanitizing the environment.

Treatment for pink eye is also fairly simple and only lasts a few days to a week. Remove contact lens and discontinue use until the issue clears up. Use eye drops or an ointment with antibacterial properties to help clear up symptoms faster.

Home remedies often work just as well as over-the-counter options. A cold compress can help relieve the pain and swelling associated with pink eye. If allergy-induced, take an antihistamine to reduce symptoms.

Supplementing with the following can also be used to prevent and treat pink eye:

Probiotics

Cod liver oil pills

Vitamin A

Barberry plant

Boric acid

Honey

Be careful not to touch or rub the infected eyes. Don’t share tissues or facial products and avoid makeup until the issue is resolved.

Surgery isn’t the only option for pain relief from eye problems. There are many home remedies for common eye problems, which are especially helpful to those who aren’t eligible for surgery or simply choose not to have it due to the risk factors.

One option is to treat the pain from eye problems with over-the-counter medicine. This can take one of the following forms:

• Eye drops
• Acetaminophen
• Anti-inflammatory drugs
• Ibuprofen
• Aspirin

Another option is to make a homemade eye wash or tea tonic. While store bought solutions exist to wash the eyes, they do carry some side effects. Using natural products can provide the same benefits without the risk of side effects. This can include any number of natural ingredients that are thought to reduce pain, redness, and swelling:

• A mixture of rose water and lime juice
• Triphala, an herbal eye tonic
• Soak guava leaves in warm water, wrap in a clean cloth and apply to the eyes
• Boil chamomile flowers and Oregon grape root and apply to the eyes
• Boil and cool raspberry leaves, soak onto a cotton ball, and apply
• Soak almonds overnight. Eat the almonds the next morning with a warm glass of milk.

Though these remedies can be used to treat dry eyes, itching, redness, eye strain, and pink eye, they are not a replacement for treatment in more severe cases such as glaucoma, retinal detachment or age-related macular degeneration. Seek medical attention if symptoms are severe or include vision loss.

Glaucoma involves optic nerve damage that worsens over time. It is caused by the buildup of fluid, which adds pressure that causes irreparable damage. It can result in blindness.

Glaucoma symptoms start as a loss of peripheral vision because it deteriorates before central vision loss. Once side vision loss occurs, vision loss has already taken place, but the other eye has been making up the difference. By the time symptoms appear, however, the glaucoma is already is in advanced stage. That’s why regular eye exams are so important as a way of practicing preventive eye care.

Other symptoms may occur, including:

• Cloudy vision
• Severe eye pain in either eye
• Feeling nauseous
• Having red eye
• Experiencing a headache centralized over the eyebrow

Treatment of glaucoma depends on the severity of the disease. While an ophthalmologist can prescribe liquid eye drops to help relieve the pressure, surgery may be necessary to correct the problem. Though surgery is useful for improving the flow of fluid in the eye and getting rid of the pressure that causes the problem, it can’t repair vision once it’s lost.

Though infants can be affected by glaucoma, those most as risk are over 40 with a family history of the disease. Diabetes, nearsightedness, high blood pressure, eye injuries, and the use of steroids can increase the chances of getting glaucoma. Early detection is key for preserving eye sight and preventing more damage. A quick and painless test is recommended every 2-3 years to detect glaucoma.

Eyeball licking, also known as oculolinctus or “worming,” is thought to be a new trend that began with a few kids in Japan. The discovery was reportedly made when a good portion of the class mysteriously had pink eye. Thanks to the other trend of posting anything unusual or strange on YouTube, the practice of eyeball licking has received a lot of attention.

Oddly enough, it’s used as a new way of expressing how much a person likes another person. It’s part of the initial dating process, especially among preteens. It’s comparable to a foot fetish or toe licking, the reason is that the cornea is sensitive and licking it causes a tingling sensation.

Eyeball licking poses some serious health issues though. Kids might not think much about getting a case of pink eye that clears up relatively quickly and doesn’t pose any long-term damage to the eye, but it can cause more than just pink eye. Other health problems that may arise due to eyeball licking include:

• Sties
• Scratching the lens
• Eye herpes (like a cold sore virus)
• Vision loss due to infections

Some claim that worming is just a hoax or an urban legend, and while that might be true, word has spread about the unusual practice and kids are curious about the practice. Regardless of whether the initial story is true or not, copycats are sure to turn up and they need to be aware of the risks of putting foreign bacteria in their eyes.