Asymptomatic Eye Disease: Risks, Detection & Prevention

Many eye diseases, such as glaucoma and diabetic eye disease, produce no symptoms in the early stages. In such cases, a person is said to have "asymptomatic eye disease."

Definition

• The term "asymptomatic" means "causes no noticeable symptoms." Asymptomatic eye disease can only be detected during an eye exam.

Statistics

• According to the 2003 issue of "Canadian Journal of Optometry," approximately one out of seven people who have a regular eye exam have asymptomatic eye disease.

Related Conditions

• Diabetes, which can cause bleeding and swelling in the eye and lead to vision loss, can be detected during an eye exam. High blood pressure development, high cholesterol and other problems are sometimes linked to asymptomatic eye disease.

Expert Insight

• About 60 percent of people with eye disease have good vision, according to the British Columbia Association of Optometrists. Without regular eye exams, many cases of eye disease go undiagnosed until the disease has progressed to an advanced stage.

Prevention/Solution

• Both adults and children, regardless of vision quality, should have regular eye exams performed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist. When eye disease is discovered in the early stages, it is more treatable; otherwise, permanent loss of vision may occur.