If you feel as though newspaper print is becoming smaller and smaller as you age, you’re in good company! Many of us find ourselves struggling to read the fine print, so to speak – holding reading materials at arm’s length, putting on reading glasses, or reaching for a magnifier.
While not everyone encounters senior vision issues, there are some conditions that are more common than others. It’s essential for everyone to visit the eye doctor yearly, whether or not any vision changes are encountered, as a preventative measure and to enable the doctor to identify any of the more serious conditions as early as possible, such as:
- Retinopathy: Retinopathy can develop in diabetics, which can result in a leak or blockage to the blood vessels in the back of the eye. It’s important to note as well that diabetes is the most common cause of loss of vision, making it especially crucial for diabetics to maintain ongoing, regular checkups with the eye doctor, and to be meticulous in their management of the disease.
- Macular Degeneration: As the name implies, this condition occurs when the tiny macula in the eye proceeds to break down, which causes distorted eyesight when looking straight ahead. Surgical treatment can help in some instances, but it’s important for people diagnosed with macular degeneration to learn and make use of tactics to best utilize their remaining peripheral vision. Macular degeneration does not result in complete blindness.
- Glaucoma: Glaucoma causes elevated fluid pressure in the eye, causing damage to the optic nerve, and can lead to blindness, in particular if left undetected. Treatment possibilities can include surgery and/or eye drops to keep vision loss from progressing.
- Cataracts: Extremely common in seniors, cataracts are the result of clouding of the lens, and can be rectified with a simple, safe, and efficient replacement of the cloudy lens with a new synthetic lens.
If encountering any of these symptoms, seek medical assistance right away:
- Sudden vision loss which can potentially signify the occurrence of a detached retina, a hemorrhage, stroke, or other serious issue.
- A crossed eye or double vision, which can suggest a neurological concern such as a stroke.
- Eye pain can be because of an infection, abrasion, elevated eye pressure, or other serious concern. When pain accompanies nausea, vomiting, headache or the appearance of halos surrounding lights, it could be because of acute glaucoma.
- Flashes of light can appear when the retina is detaching.
- Sudden eye discharge or redness in one or both eyes can happen when there is an infection in the eye.
The elder care Concord team at Live Free Home Health Care is always readily available to assist older adults in preserving optimum eye health. We can provide accompanied transportation to medical appointments, procedures, and checkups, observe any changes in eye health so that they’re addressed right away, minimize fall risks in the home for those with vision issues, and so much more.
Contact us at 603-217-0149 to schedule a complimentary in-home assessment to learn more and to find out if our services are available in your area.