Protect Your Eyesight
If you are a baby boomer, you have a strong chance of developing vision impairment or blindness. The paper print is too small to read, you can’t see your watch, and things just are not as clear as they once were, all signs of the onset of vision problems. How do you keep your eyesight healthy? You should have regular eye exams, yearly is recommended when you reach your 40’s and 50’s. Eye exams can detect other serious health problems, including high blood pressure and diabetes.
Common eye diseases found in baby boomers are presbyopia, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma.
Macular Degeneration
One of the most common causes of legal blindness and vision weakness is macular degeneration. This affects over 1.6 million Americans and attacks the retina, which is responsible for sharp vision. Only an optometrist can see the changes in the macula. That is why getting regular vision checkups are so important. There is no cure known for macular degeneration.
Since you are unable to see the signs in the eye, it’s important to know what the common symptoms are. You will notice a blurred or fuzzy vision, vision distortion, loss of color vision, and a dark area in the center of vision. Side vision is rarely affected. There are two types of macular degeneration, wet and dry. A person with dry macular degeneration will have a blurry center vision and straight lines that look crooked or wavy. This is a sign that parts of the macula have started to die. This is what leaves blank spots in the vision.
Wet macular degeneration see spots in the center of their vision and straight lines look wavy to them also. This is because of fluid or blood under the macula and it is no longer smooth.
A test will discover if you have macular degeneration. The procedure is called fluorescein angiography. A dye is injected into the arm and a special camera is used to track the movement of the dyes as it flows through the blood vessels of the retina. Photographs by a special camera will show changes that have occurred in the retina. This procedure will also tell the optometrist if laser surgery would be a benefit to this patient.
Glaucoma
Another serious source of concern for baby boomers is glaucoma. Glaucoma is caused by high-pressure inside the eyes. This pressure damages the optic nerve. This nerve carries the visual information to the brain from the eye. Glaucoma is usually not detected by the patient. Regular eye exams with a glaucoma test will allow your eye doctor to catch the disease in the early stages and before damage is irreversible. If your vision is lost to glaucoma, it can’t be restored.
About half of the three million Americans who have glaucoma don’t know they have it. There are no warning signs and no eye pain. Patients only notice their loss of vision after glaucoma has advanced. Glaucoma can’t be prevented but can be controlled if it is caught early enough. If treated soon enough, glaucoma can be slowed or stopped.
A diagnosis of glaucoma is not hopeless. There are treatments available to stop or slow the spread of the disease. Laser surgery, standard surgery, and eye drops are all treatments that can help a glaucoma patient. Treatments involve lowering the pressure in the eye to slow progression will help most people. A portion of those who have glaucoma and resulting treatment will still suffer some damage to their optic nerve.
Early detection and treatment are vital toward preventing blindness.
Presbyopia
Presbyopia is usually the first signs of aging. A progressive condition makes doing close work, reading, and doing needlework and sewing increasingly difficult. Normally this eye condition affects everyone when they are 55. Even if they have had perfect vision, they may find they are having trouble reading the newspaper and books at the normal distance. It doesn’t threaten your sight, but it’s important to have your eyes examined and find out if you need glasses or bifocals.
Baby boomers should take care to guard the health of their eyes. If you are planning on spending time outside, protect your eyes from sun and glare. If you tan, you must use the protective goggles to protect against eye damage. If you already wear glasses, wear them. You may want to see the sweet little faces of your grandchildren or the beautiful sunset on your retirement vacation.
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