4 Common Age-Related Vision Problems to Look Out For
- Posted on: Jul 15 2014
The effects of aging goes beyond the appearance of wrinkles, folds, and fine lines. When it comes to bodily functions, aging brings forth a lot of undesirable changes, one of which is deterioration in one’s vision. Although refractive errors (such as nearsightedness and farsightedness) may occur during one’s childhood, teens or early adulthood due to genetics or lifestyle factors, your risk of developing such eye problems increases with age.
Generally, the following vision problems have been linked to increasing age:
Cataract
Individuals with cataract will often say that the condition is similar to that of looking through a dirty car windshield. By and large, this is a result of clouding of the eye’s lenses. For normal vision to occur, the eye’s lenses should be clear in order for the light to be focused properly back to the retina. Vision loss due to cataract can be remedied through surgery.
Glaucoma
There are various types of glaucoma, majority of which are caused by a common cause — buildup of a certain fluid produced in the eyes resulting to elevated eye pressure. The buildup of eye pressure often results to optic nerve damage. During its early stages, glaucoma may present without symptoms. Although each type vary in their symptoms, patients with glaucoma often present themselves at the clinic with the following symptoms: blurred peripheral (side) vision, seeing halos or colored rainbows, headache, and severe eye or brow pain.
Diabetic retinopathy
When the blood sugar levels of diabetic individuals are significantly elevated, the tiny blood vessels that supply blood to the retina may be damaged resulting to diabetic retinopathy. Symptoms include but are not limited to blurred vision, appearance of floaters (spots or cobweb dark strings floating in one’s line of vision), and poor night vision.
Age-Related Macular Degeneration
This condition has to do with damage to the eye’s macula which is responsible for central vision. Age-related macular degeneration may be classified as either dry or wet and requires different techniques in its treatment.
Evaluating Your Risk for Age-Related Vision Loss
Regular visits at our clinic for continuous assessment and evaluation of your risk of age-related vision loss is a must. Call us at 330-305-2200 today to set up an appointment with our specialists in quality refractive, LASIK, lens implant, and cataract surgery. We look forward to your visit!
Posted in: Cataract, Diabetic Retinopathy, Glaucoma, Macular Degeneration