(It is important in all cases of infection to not rub or touch the eye. Doing so will spread the infection and may cause damage to the eye.)

Bacterial

• Caused by bacteria
• Contagious
• Requires urgent treatment by an ophthalmologist
• Starts in one eye
• Characterised by yellow or white thick discharge, a “beefy” red eye, swollen and blurry vision. Eyelids will be stuck together in the morning upon waking

Viral

• Caused by virus
• Contagious
• Requires urgent treatment by an ophthalmologist
• Starts in one eye
• Characterised by sticky, watery, clear discharge, a pink-red eye, a sensation of irritation in the eye and decreased vision.

Condition that may develop in premature babies.

• Caused by the natural ageing of the eye in elderly adults but can be caused by trauma, medications or disease (diabetes) in adults and children. It can also be present at birth in infants.
• Urgent in most cases and surgical removal will be necessary when vision is significantly affected. In children, examination and removal is urgent as vision may not develop properly.
• Develops in both eyes eventually but may only present in one eye initially.
• Characterised by decreased vision and the feeling of looking through a dirty or foggy window. In advanced cases, the pupil of the eye may appear cloudy or grey.

Refers to any case where some form of optical correction (spectacles or contact lenses) is necessary to obtain better vision.

Myopia

• Commonly known as near-sightedness.
• Caused by the eye not being able to focus clearly at something far away but being able to focus clearly nearby. People who have myopia will often be seen “squinting” their eyes to see better.
• Spectacles or contact lenses can correct this.

Hypermetropia / hyperopia

• Commonly known as far-sightedness.
• Caused by the eye not being able to focus clearly at something nearby but being able to focus clearly far away.
• Spectacles or contact lenses can correct this.

Astigmatism

• Caused by the shape of the front of the eye (cornea) being more oval than round.
• Spectacles or contact lenses can correct this.

Presbyopia

• Caused by natural ageing of the eye in middle-aged adults. A clear focus can no longer be obtained at near and this gradually gets worse.
• Reading glasses can correct this.

(It is important in all cases of allergy to not rub the eye. Doing so can cause damage to the eye.)

• Caused by seasonal changes.
• Not contagious.
• Present in both eyes.
• Characterised by itchy, watery eyes, red eyes and can be accompanied by a runny nose or sinusitis.

VKC

• A type of allergy, presenting mostly in young children of African descent.
• Characterised by excessive rubbing of the eyes and brown discolouration of the white of the eye.

• Caused by either physical trauma (hit on or around the eye by an object) or chemical trauma (chemical substance splashing into eye).
• Physical injuries are urgent and should be examined by an ophthalmologist to ensure if ocular structures have been hurt or damaged. Proper treatment will be done if necessary.
• Chemical injuries are an emergency and the eye should immediately be flushed under clean, running water. If no clean water is available, bottle water or saline may be used.
• Milk, urine and any other substances should not be used under any circumstance.

A headache can be caused by eyestrain, stress or other environmental factors and usually resolves with rest or painkillers.

A headache that is more serious and does not resolve will need further investigation.

• Caused by increased pressure in the eye with resultant damage to the nerve that is inside the eye.
• Can be urgent, depending on how high the pressure is. It becomes an emergency when the eye is painful and red, accompanied by vomiting. A detailed examination will be done by your ophthalmologist to determine if you have glaucoma or are at risk for it, how bad it is if you are diagnosed with it and what the best treatment would be for your specific case. Surgical management is only necessary in extremely uncontrolled cases. Regular use of treatment prescribed will stabilise the condition and preserve your vision that has not been affected. Regular examinations will also be necessary to monitor your condition.
• Develops in both eyes.
• Characterised by “tunnel vision” or loss of peripheral vision with good central vision. This leads to affected people bumping into objects more often than normal, such as tables and doors.

• Caused by sun exposure.
• Not urgent unless it is rapidly growing in size. Treatment can be given if there is discomfort. If necessary, surgical removal will be discussed by your ophthalmologist.
• Can be present in either one or both eyes.
• Characterised by irritation in the eye and a “bump” may be seen in the mirror. The eye may become red around it if it is inflamed. Vision may be affected if it grows over the pupil of the eye.

• Caused by something entering the eye (metal, vegetation, dust) and causing irritation.
• This is an emergency and an ophthalmologist should be contacted immediately.

• Causes blurred central vision.
• Progressive condition and an examination should be scheduled with an ophthalmologist.
• Some risk factors include race (caucasian), smoking and a family history of ARMD.

• Caused by systemic disease that manifests complications in the eye.
• Both are vascular diseases and regular monitoring is of utmost importance to identify changes early and prevent vision loss.
• Treatment involves proper management and control of the systemic disease. Your ophthalmologist may require you to come in for regular check-ups, depending on the extent of your complications.

HIV can cause complications throughout the eye, some include:

• Eyelids - Kaposi sarcoma
• Conjunctiva - squamous cell carcinoma
• Cornea - ulcers, viral keratitis
• Anterior chamber - uveitis
• Lens - cataract
• Fundus - Cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis, neurological complications

• Caused by rapidly mutating abnormal cells.
• Urgent examination and surgical removal is necessary.
• Usually present in one eye.
• Characterised by a rapidly growing, irregular shaped, bumpy lump on the eye or eyelid. Usually accompanied by lots of blood vessels around it.
• Melanomas are a type of cancer that can occur in structures inside the eye.