The Eyes Have It

Some of us expect that as we age that we would lose some of our body strength, even some of our mobility.  But the power to see, that will remain with us forever.  Others have a more mature response:  Why should vision be any different?  Changes in how we see are inevitable.  There is good news for both schools of thought.   The future – with new medications and lenses – may be clearer and brighter. 

Many issues can affect our eyes as we grow older.  We have become accustomed to near or far-sighted individuals.  Lenses, both glasses and contacts, help alleviate these concerns.  But the changes in our bodies which I am referring to go beyond merely focusing on different distances.

Again – and I cannot stress this point enough - consult your eye professional for the latest medications and innovations.  If your ophthalmologist (eye doctor) is not steering you to the most recent and proven therapies, perhaps the time has come to make a switch.

·         Cataracts – This result is that our vision becomes cloudy and blurry.  Our eyes also become sensitive to glare, creating hazardous driving conditions at night with traffic coming from the opposite direction pointing their light beams precisely at us. This phenomenon is natural:  As we get older, the proteins that make up the eye’s light-focusing lens begin to clump together.  You may have to choose how you want your vision to be corrected, or you may not.

·         Macular Degeneration – This change, often referred to as AMD, can be avoided, or at least minimized, by keeping off the pounds, not smoking and wearing sunglasses -especially those that block harmful UVA and UVB radiation - when out on a sunny day.  There is a “wet” form of this debilitating problem, which means that leaky blood vessels and scar tissue have accelerated your vision loss.  But in general, AMD refers to the macula (the light-sensing retina in the back of your eye) has been damaged.  The result is that your vision becomes distorted, and your field of view is lessened considerably at the center.

·         Glaucoma – This is especially common among those challenged with diabetes.  It refers to when the meshwork, which helps maintain healthy pressures in your eye by draining it through the outflow canals, is damaged.  As a result of this growing pressure, the optic nerve is damaged.

There is much to learn. The eye is a complicated organ.   But the good news is that there are only three -relatively- simple things you should look (pun intended) out for:

·         Difficulty seeing at night, along with sensitivity to glare, or have difficulty seeing in dark, dim areas.

·         Lines that should appear straight, now look wavy.

·         You are experiencing tunnel vision. You have limited sight because your peripheral vision is limited, or non-existent.

Your medical professional team can make recommendations - they can be either treatment, surgery, medications, or a combination of some of these components – which you should consider. Become an educated patient by learning what each of the options entails, its possible complications, and the percentage of successful outcomes.

Just remember, as we age so do our eyes.  And like any body part, it occasionally needs outside help. We also always need to keep in mind that the vision on our retina is precious.  We should keep it as healthy as possible.

Have any thoughts on the issue? Share them with us at www.MatureAging.com, and we may post them (only after getting your permission) in a future edition.

Till next time,

Josh