Free Medical Articles

Baby Boomers beware! You could be headed for vision problems and possible blindness. According to the National Eye Institute, as the nation ages, more Americans are facing blindness from eye disease than ever before. By the year 2030, twice as many people will be blind as today.

So how do you fight back? Early detection is your best defense against the four age-related eye diseases.

Glaucoma

Every hour, someone goes blind from glaucoma, a disease caused by elevated pressure inside the eye. This pressure damages the optic nerve, which carries visual information from the eye to the brain. This can lead to reduced vision and eventually to blindness.

At least half of those who have glaucoma do not know it and vision loss is not noticed until a lot of nerve damage has occurred. It can, however, be detected by an eye exam, and timely diagnosis and treatment can slow or halt vision loss. Once vision is lost to glaucoma, it cannot be restored.

Cataracts

Cataracts can eventually cause blindness. If we live long enough, most of us will develop a cataract, which is a clouding of the eye's lens. This blocks light from passing so we can see, causing blurring or dimming of eyesight. It can also cause double vision and a film over the eye. Like glaucoma, cataracts do not cause any symptoms at first, but they can be detected during an eye exam.

The good news is with cataracts - unlike other eye diseases - eyesight can be restored through surgery, which has a 95 percent success rate.

Macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the United States and Europe. The front of the eye contains a lens, the retina. Within the retina is the macula. AMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow beneath the macula and leak fluid into the blood. This can cause vision problems that can quickly turn into permanent central vision loss. Patients rarely lose all of their vision from AMD, but many are classified as legally blind.

AMD develops slowly and patients may not notice a decrease in vision for months or years. AMD can be detected by a physician in an eye exam, and regular eye examinations are the best way for patients with AMD to keep their vision for many years. Treatments are available that can slow down AMD, but they are not likely to restore normal vision. These treatments include macular surgery, dye injection and laser therapy.

Diabetic retinopathy

Half of all Americans with diabetes will develop diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes that damages the blood vessels of the retina. It does not affect just those who have had diabetes since childhood.

It can appear shortly after the onset of diabetes in adults. In fact, it may be one of the first signs that someone has diabetes.

Like the other eye diseases, people in the early stages of diabetic retinopathy don't usually notice any symptoms. A more severe stage of the disease, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow into the retina or optic nerve. This can eventually lead to vision loss.

Ophthalmologists recommend that patients with diabetes have eye examinations through dilated pupils at least once a year. Good control of blood sugar levels also helps to slow the onset and progression of retinopathy. A laser procedure is available that stabilizes vision, but does not necessarily improve it.

Get your eyes checked

Since it is difficult to notice symptoms of these eye diseases in the early stages, annual eye exams are the best defense. Early detection and treatment are the keys to reducing your risk of blindness and visual impairment. See your eye doctor once a year and keep the eyesight you have working for you for years to come.

For  More   Information:  Please  consult  your   physician  on  your  next  visit.