Seeing Well As You Grow Older

Many eye diseases and disorders become more common as we age.  Advances in Ophthalmology allow most people to maintain good vision as they grow older.  Many eye problems can be prevented or corrected if detected in their early stages. The following are problems commonly experienced by older people:

  • Presbyopia - When you are young, the lens in your eye is flexible and changes shape easily, allowing you to focus on objects both close and far away.  As you grow older, your lens becomes less flexible.  By about age 40, the lens cannot change shape as easily as it once did and reading becomes difficult.  This normal condition is presbyopia.  You will need glasses or bifocals to help your eyes focus.  The lens continues to harden, so you will need to change prescriptions as you grow older.
  • Floaters - You may sometimes see small specks or webs moving in your field of vision.  They are called floaters.  Floaters are actually tiny clumps of gel or cells within the vitreous  gel-like fluid that fills the inside of the eye.  The specks that you see are the shadows they cast on the retina.  You should contact us right away if you suddenly develop new floaters. These symptoms indicate a torn retina, which could lead to retinal detachment.
  • Cataracts - A cataract is a clouding of the eye's naturally clear lens, like a window that is fogged with steam.  When the lens becomes cloudy, light rays cannot pass through it easily and vision becomes blurred.  Unfortunately there are no medications, eyedrops, exercises or eyeglasses that will cause cataracts to disappear.  Surgery is the only way to remove a cataract.  In cataract surgery the cloudy lens is removed and vision is restored by replacing it with a permanent intraocular lens (IOL) implant.
  • Glaucoma - This is the leading cause of blindness in the United States.  It is a disease of the optic nerve, which is the part of the eye that carries the images we see from the eye to the brain.  Glaucoma can damage nerve fibers, causing blind spots in vision.  It can affect the pressure inside the eye, or intraocular pressure (IOP).  Aqueous humor is a clear liquid that normally flows in and out of the eye.  When this liquid cannot drain properly, pressure builds up in the eye.  The resulting increase in IOP can damage the optic nerve.  The only way to detect glaucoma is with a complete eye exam.  Symptoms are not noticeable until damage has already occurred.  Glaucoma is usually controlled with eyedrops.  Laser surgery or operative surgery may be done if the drops do not control the disease.  These treatments only stop further damage; they cannot reverse any damage or loss of the sight that has already occurred.  That is why early diagnosis and treatment are necessary to prevent blindness from glaucoma.
  • Macular Degeneration - This is a deterioration of the cells in or near the central vision.  The macula is the small, central area of the retina that allows us to see fine details clearly.  macular degeneration is caused by aging and thinning of the tissues of the macula.  Vision loss is usually gradual   In  some cases, abnormal blood vessels develop and leak fluid or blood under the macula.  Vision loss is the case may be rapid.  When the macula doesn't function correctly, you experience blurriness or distortion in the center of your vision.  Macular degeneration makes close-up work, like reading or threading a needle difficult or impossible.  It doesn't result in total blindness and there is no proven cure for macular degeneration.  In some people who have leaking blood vessels, laser surgery or special injections may slow or prevent additional vision loss.  Various low-vision optical devices can help with maintaining a satisfying lifestyle.  Louise Colletti, OD is our vision rehabilitation specialist and she can prescribe optical devices.
Regular eye exams by an Eye M.D. (ophthalmologist) is the best way to detect eye conditions early, while they can be treated.  Early detection and treatment leads to healthy eyesight. 


This message was brought to you by Friedberg Eye Associates and the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

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