With time, our body undergoes several changes. The same applies to our eyes as well. Aging brings noticeable changes to overall eye health and vision. Furthermore, keeping our eyes healthy has become of utmost importance for elderly individuals.
In this blog, we will focus on age-related eye diseases and a few facts that come along with the same. Knowing them will be beneficial for elderly people in keeping their vision healthy. Let us go forth and get a better understanding of the 5 commonest age-related eye diseases.
Cataract
Cataracts are the most common eye problems caused by elderly individuals in today’s time. Also known as cataract blindness, this condition happens when the natural eye lens turns opaque, causing cloudy vision, heightened sensitivity to light, and difficulty in seeing anything.
Facts about Cataract:
- Prevalence: As per the study at the American Academy of Ophthalmology, “Half of Americans over the age of 75 develop cataracts.”
- Treatment: The only way of getting rid of cataracts is by having the surgery done and replacing the cloudy lens with an artificial one.
- Prevention: Talking about prevention, experts recommend wearing UV sunglasses, controlling blood sugar levels, quitting smoking, and more. However, these precautions have no definite guarantee that you won’t need surgery.
Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
Age-related macular disease, or AMD, is considered one of the major contributors to loss of vision in people above 50. Due to vision loss, individuals find it difficult to do their day-to-day tasks like recognizing faces, finding things, or even reading.
Facts about AMD
- Types: AMD can be segregated into two major types – dry AMD and wet AMD. The dry AMD is generally a result of atrophy or macula and the development of drusen. It is basically the yellow accretions in the retina. On the other hand, wet AMD is caused by the growth of abnormal blood vessels under the retina. As a result, the individuals have leakage of blood and/or serum, which causes a rapid decline in vision.
- Risk Factors: AMD has various risk factors, including smoking, family history, hypertension, and prolonged UV exposure.
- Diagnosis: To date, there is no cure for dry AMD. However, the decline can be relieved when individuals include some vitamins and minerals in their diet. In addition, in wet AMD, there are several drugs that target VEGF, which can come in handy when there is excessive surpassing growth of abnormal blood vessels.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma, also called the “silent thief of sight,” is a serious problem in people above the age of 50. The reason for its name, Silent Thief, is because of its unique trait of not giving any eye hygiene-associated symptoms until the disease has grown to an advanced level. Moreover, the problem is irreversible. This problem happens when there’s a lot of build-up of fluid within the eye. Therefore, the pressure increases and causes damage to the optic nerve.
Facts about Glaucoma
- Prevalence: In America, 2.56% of Americans aged 40 and older have Glaucoma, and 0.91% have vision-affecting Glaucoma.
- Treatment: Experts prescribe eye drops and sealant procedures like surgical treatments for Glaucoma.
- Prevention: Regular eye checkups play a very important role in helping early diagnosis of Glaucoma. In fact, once it is diagnosed, checkups help in preservation of vision in later stages.
Diabetic Retinopathy
As the name suggests, diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes that impairs the blood vessels in the retina. This disease causes blurred vision, floaters, and loss of vision if not treated in time.
Facts about Diabetic Retinopathy:
- Prevalence: It is one of the most common problems among working individuals. In fact, it is also present among the elderly people.
- Treatment: Affected elders can get laser treatments done or invest in anti-VEGF shots or even vitrectomy.
- Prevention: You can simply start by controlling your blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and cholesterol. In addition, regular eye checkups can be helpful in the prevention of this age-related eye disease.
Dry Eye Syndrome
When your eyes lose the moisture formation with age, dry eye syndrome happens. It is very common among women post-menopause.
Facts about Dry Eye Syndrome:
- Symptoms: Some of the common symptoms of this disease are eye-stinging, burning, or scratchy sensations. In addition to these, individuals also face redness, blurry vision, and sensitivity to light.
- Treatment: Eye drops prescribed by the specialist or artificial tears and humidifiers are helpful and provide relief for the eyes. In severe cases, a small procedure that clears the blockage of the drainage channel for tears is needed.
What are the steps to help Seniors with Proper Eye Care?
Individuals can preserve their vision for later years by doing the following:
- Regular eye checkups: Get your eyes examined like you do for your other body parts – regularly. It helps you detect anything unusual before it is too late.
- Make healthier food choices: There are a lot of food options that help with your vision and eyesight – invest in them. For instance, antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins A, C, and E as well.
- Keep a lot of things under control: Keeping things like blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, obesity, and endocrine disorders under control can be helpful in preventing possible eye syndrome.
- Use good quality eyewear: Simple sunglasses cannot save the eyes from the harmful UV rays of the sun. You must choose good quality sunglasses that block UVA and UVB rays coming in direct contact with your eyes.
- Drink plenty of fluids: Keep your body (eyes included) hydrated by drinking lots of water. Drinking lots of water and fluids can help tear production and keep the eyes hydrated.
- Do not smoke: Smoking increases the chances of AMD and other ocular diseases like cataracts. In fact, smoking, in general, is not good for your overall health.
Conclusion
As mentioned earlier, Age-related eye conditions are widespread among seniors. However, timely diagnosis and treatment can significantly aid in preserving both vision and life satisfaction. Vision preservation can be achieved through combining adequate information with proper strategies. Timely and Professional consultation is recommended for all kinds of vision alterations or any queries. Talking about giving your eyes expert care, Prof Chameen Samarawickrama is one of the best ophthalmologists in Australia. You can simply book your appointment and let him do the best for your eyes.