You may have heard of common eye diseases, such as glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration. But there are other eye conditions, which are much less common that can occur.

February 28th is Rare Disease Day, which puts the spotlight on uncommon conditions, including eye diseases. The blog below takes a look at six rare eye diseases, their causes, and treatments. 

Common vision problems, such as cataracts, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration, affect both men and women. Although according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), women are at a higher risk of blindness than men, vision loss and eye problems also affect men in high numbers. 

​June is Men’s Health Month. It is a good time to bring awareness to eye conditions that men may have an increased risk of developing. Consider some of the conditions below that are more common in men. 

HIV/AIDS occurs due to a virus that affects the immune system. Throughout the years, better education and information shed light on this disease. We now understand more about HIV and AIDS.
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One thing we know is that people with HIV and AIDS are at an increased risk of various types of infections and diseases, including eye diseases.

Hearing you have cancer can be frightening. When it involves a child, it can be even more heartbreaking. But learning more about childhood cancer can help save a life.
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September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and it’s a good time to become educated on different forms of childhood cancer. For example, one type of cancer that affects children is called retinoblastoma. 
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Melanoma is a type of cancer usually associated with the skin. Did you know it also affects the eyes?
 
Ocular melanoma is a type of melanoma that  develops in the pigment cells in the eye.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, although ocular melanoma is rare, it is the most frequent type of eye cancer in adults.