can eye problems be hereditary??

India
May 19, 2007 10:02am CST
my dad just told me today he is undergoing an eye operation for both his eyes that his glasses do him no good and he is going to get permanant lenses fixed..He is 64 now. I have been having a eye problem since i was 10 yr old and still wear contact lenses for far sight(cannot see far away objects} and wondered that it could be hereditary from my father to me and i am scared that i may also have to go through the same thing but only an a early age bcos i have a +4 already and cannot see anything clearly unless it is in 10 to 15 feet distance..[doesn't mean my guy can go aorund with a girl right in front of my eyes and i won't be able to catch him lol] But this really bother's me now that i know that my dad has the problem too but that could also be bcos of his age?
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4 responses
@youless (112166)
• Guangzhou, China
19 May 07
I am not a doctor, but I think eye problems won't be hereditary. If so, then there will be more and more people will have eye problems. But it seems it's not true, right?
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@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
19 May 07
Then why are so many Dutch people with near-sightedness?
• India
20 May 07
I do not know but it sure seems like it because he ahs the same problems that i suffer with he cannot see or read well without his glasses and now he is getting operated and i was thinking of doing the same but i will have to wait a little more..
@youless (112166)
• Guangzhou, China
20 May 07
I am from China and I think we have more near-sighted persons, I'm one of them.
@PsychoDude (2013)
• Netherlands
19 May 07
What is he being operated for to begin with? At an age like that stare is quite a common thing to be operated for, something not commonly seen in younger people. Although many do prefer laser corrective treatment at a younger age, especially since it has became a lot cheaper in the last couple of years now down to around 400 Eur an eye. Eye problems have been stated to have some hereditary influences, but there's a lot more to it. Asides from that it simply is so common amongst people there's probably a wide variety of influences which simply can't really be played a role in from our part.
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• India
20 May 07
well, he used to be able to read with his glasses on but now he is not able to do so even with a higher glass # so he says that the doctor's have asked him to get his eye operated cos the glasses won't be of much use to him and according to his age he can have a permanent laser done..
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• United States
9 Jul 07
Well if your Dad was near-sighted like you to begin with (can't see far away things), he probably started having worse problems when he hit his 40's-50's because most people lose some of their ability to focus on objects close up at this age. That's why so many older people have bi-focals, because they need glasses to help with both distance and close vision. Both my parents are near-sighted, and so am I. It is generally thought to be a inherited trait, though your activities can have some impact on it as well. I started wearing glasses when I was 11 years old. When I was 24, I had corrective surgery even though my vision was not terrible, the glasses and contacts gave me headaches. The eye surgeries are very common and safe nowadays, so even if you do have to have one someday, I wouldn't worry too much about it.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
19 May 07
It is hereditary. My husband's family are all nearsighted and that is partly because their ancestors came from the Netherlands and Northern Germany. So if your ancestors came from a small district, there is a chance that they may have one ancestor in common, and through marrying second, third, and fourth cousins, and he happened to be far-sighted you would be too. In the olden days, problems were common because people did not travel that far.
• India
20 May 07
I happen to be an Indian and all my ancestors are from here and i know for a fact now that it is hereditary cos all of them wore spectacles for the same problem.. My eldest sister is perfect but the one after her also uses glasses we are three siblings all girls.. And all this time i used to think it's the television and the books i used to read from too close.. And i cannot remember overdoing that too..