Shocking photos reveal what the world looks like as you go blind – are you affected?
MANY people wear glasses or even contact lenses to help aid their eyesight.
But it can be difficult to know when your vision is getting even worse.
Now shocking images have revealed what sight looks like with different eye conditions.
Data from the ) estimates that over two million Brits will experience mild to moderate sight loss by 2025.
Sujata Paul, contact lens optician and professional services clinical lead at said: "Better vision means a better quality of life, as seeing the world around us correctly enables us to learn, work and fully interact with the people close to us.
"Having regular eye tests can reveal early signs of eye conditions, such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and cataracts.
Read more on eye sight
"The earlier the problem is picked up, the greater the chance of successful treatment."
She added that even if you don't recognise the issues seen in the images, then you should still get an eye test at least every once to two years depending on your age and medical history.
Here's the 12 eye conditions you need to be on the look out for.
1. Diabetic retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes.
Most read in Health
It's usually caused by high blood sugar levels damaging the back of the eye (retina).
This can cause blindness if left undiagnosed and untreated. Those who have the condition will often have blurred vision which also presents with large dark floaters that prevent you seeing clearly.
2. Cataracts
Sujata explained that a cataract is a clouding of the normally clear lens of the eye.
"Having cataracts and seeing through cloudy lenses can make it seem a bit like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window.
"Cataracts mostly develop slowly and don't disturb you early on. But with time, cataracts will eventually interfere with your vision.
"Symptoms include clouded vision, difficulty seeing at night, sensitivity to light, seeing halos around lights and fading or yellowing of colours."
3. Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP)
RP comprises a large group of rarer, inherited vision disorders that cause progressive degeneration of the retina which is the light sensitive membrane that coats the inside of the eyes.
With RP the peripheral (or side) vision gradually decreases until it is eventually lost in most patients.
Central vision is usually preserved until late in these conditions, Sujata said.
4. Astigmatism
Sujata said that astigmatism is a common cause of blurry vision, which is usually corrected with glasses or contact lenses.
"It happens when your eye is shaped more like a rugby ball rather than a football, so light is focused at more than one place in the eye," the guru explained.
5. Short-Sightedness (Myopia)
This is a common condition and you will usually be prescribed glasses.
It can develop in children and in adults later in life.
Signs that you might have it include struggling to be able to see from a distance and getting headaches and rubbing your eyes a lot.
6. Long-Sightedness (Hyperopia)
This condition affects your ability to see nearby objects which appear out of focus. This often affects adults over 40 but it can happen at any age, Sujata said.
They added: "If you are long-sighted, you might find yourself having to squint to see clearly and getting tired or strained eyes after activities that involve focusing on nearby objects, such as reading or computer work."
7. Colour blindness
Colour blindness is usually inherited and makes it difficult to differentiate between shades of colours. This happens when the cones of the eye are missing specific light sensitive pigments.
There are many different types of colour blindness with varying severity. While complete colour blindness is rare, a red-green colour blindness is the most common type.
8. Presbyopia
This condition causes loss of reading vision due to age, caused by diminishing flexibility in the lens of the eye, Sujata said.
9. Glaucoma
This is a common eye condition where the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain, becomes damaged.
Sujata explained: "It does not usually cause symptoms to begin with and develops over many years, affecting the edges of your vision first.
"Catching disease in its early stages through regular check-ups is vital to slow or prevent further vision loss."
10. Macular degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease that can blur your central vision.
It happens when aging causes damage to the macula, which is a part of the retina at the back of the eye. The macula controls sharp, straight-ahead vision, Sujata said.
"AMD doesn’t cause complete blindness and is a leading cause of vision loss for older adults. However, the loss of your central vision can make it harder to see faces and do common tasks like reading or driving," they added.
11. Double vision (diplopia)
Double vision is when you look at one object but can see two images.
It usually affects both eyes and has many possible causes, including dry eyes, astigmatism, cataracts, or keratoconus (where the outer layer of the eye gets thinner and changes shape).
12. Floaters
This is one of the least dangerous eye conditions and is something many of us will have experienced during our lifetimes.
Sujata said: "Seeing dots and lines or flashes of light in your vision is common and not usually serious.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Read More on The Sun
"Floaters can look like small dots, squiggly lines, rings or cobwebs. They are usually caused by a process called vitreous detachment (PVD), where the gel inside your eyes changes.
"Floaters only require treatment if you have a problem that could affect your vision."
