Is bad eyesight genetic?

In addition to freckles, height, and your intense dislike of cilantro, bad eyesight could have a genetic component. That doesn't mean you should blame grandma for your nearsightedness, but knowing how genes and environment affect your eyes could help you anticipate potential vision problems.

Understanding the genetic basis of bad eyesight

While many common eye conditions have a genetic component, it isn't as simple as inheriting the exact same eyes as your parents. There are environmental factors as well, and many people have better or worse eyesight than their relatives.

Genetic factors in vision

One of the main ways genetics affects eye health involves the shape of your retina. You can inherit a retina with a short or long focal distance, which can lead to myopia (nearsightedness) or hyperopia (farsightedness).

Hereditary eye conditions

Glaucoma is a hereditary eye condition with a genetic component. This eye condition is caused by fluid buildup in the eye, which can damage the optic nerve and cause eventual blindness. A family history of glaucoma could increase your chances of developing the same condition.

Age-related macular degeneration, a deterioration of the retina in older individuals, is also strongly linked to genetics.

Genes may also be involved in the development of strabismus, a condition in which the eyes turn in different directions.

Presbyopia, the tendency for the lens of the eye to become thicker and less flexible with age, occurs in almost everyone, but the exact timing and how severe the change is may be affected by your genes.

The interplay of genetics and environment

Gene-environment interaction

Genetics and environmental factors work together when it comes to eye health. While you can't change your genes, you can affect how those genes are expressed, at least to some degree. 

Prevention and management

Some personal lifestyle choices affect eye health. Giving up smoking could reduce your risk of age-related macular degeneration, and eating plenty of foods with omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish, may also help keep your eyes healthy.

Keeping high blood pressure or high cholesterol under control could also reduce your risk of developing eye problems. 

Regular eye exams are essential for monitoring changes in your vision, including changes that could indicate the emergence of a genetic eye condition.

Genetic testing and eye health

In most cases, genetic testing for common eye diseases isn't extremely useful. In most cases, a genetic test can't tell you for certain whether you'll develop the same problem as mom or dad. Many conditions aren't even linked to a single specific gene but, instead, involve multiple genes or environmental factors. Knowing that Grandad or Aunt Mary had a specific eye issue is often more indicative of your risk than a genetic test would be.

In a few cases, genetic testing might be beneficial for confirming a diagnosis of certain severe rare eye disorders, such as retinitis pigmentosa. This disease causes degeneration of the retina and is linked to a specific single gene.

Family history and bad eyesight

Family eye health history

Knowing your family's eye health history is the first step in determining whether you might be prone to genetically linked eye conditions. Ask parents, grandparents, and other close relatives about their experiences with common eye conditions, such as strabismus, nearsightedness, or farsightedness, to get an idea of your own risk.

When you consult an eye care professional, mention any eye conditions that seem to run in your family. You may be given extra eye tests to check for those conditions, or your doctor may want to establish a baseline at certain ages to track changes that commonly occur as these conditions develop.

The genetic aspect of bad eyesight

While genetic factors aren't the only thing affecting eye health, they can have an impact. Consider any identified genetic risk as a reminder to focus on overall eye health. This means adapting your lifestyle to promote good eyesight, maintaining control over other health issues that could affect your eyes, and getting regular eye checkups to monitor any changes in vision over time. Take an online vision exam at 1-800 Contacts to assess your vision and get a prescription for corrective lenses that help you see more clearly.

 

Frequently asked questions:

If my parents have bad eyesight, am I destined to have poor vision too?

Despite the clear genetic component of many common eye conditions, you aren't automatically destined to have poor vision just because a family member does. Sometimes, you don't inherit the specific genes involved in that disorder, so you may end up never developing the condition at all. Environment and lifestyle have an impact, too.

Is there a genetic test for determining my risk of developing bad eyesight?

Genetic tests aren't usually recommended for determining the risk of most eye conditions. Family history plays a bigger role in prediction and diagnosis.

How can I protect my eye health if genetics puts me at risk for bad eyesight?

Protecting your eye health from hereditary eye conditions involves eating healthy, avoiding smoking, and controlling other overall health factors, such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar levels.