Issue 44.12
Very simply put, the answer is, ”Yes!” Here are some of the most common things that are diagnosed over the age of 40.
Cataracts
Cataract is a clouding of the natural lens inside of the eye. This is a normal aging process, and affects nearly everyone to some degree as we age. The clouding effect is often times very slow, and many people do not recognize the degree that the vision has diminished until after cataracts have been removed. Some symptoms include blurry vision, increased glare, and poor night vision. This is the most common surgery in the United States, and can be completed in about 15 minutes.
Diabetes
Nearly 30% of persons living the in U.S. age 65 or older have diabetes, and 50% have prediabetes. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, you should have an eye exam to determine if they’ve been affected. Diabetes can cause bleeding and swelling in the retina of the eye, along with other possible problems. If caught early, treatment for this can be quite effective left undiagnosed or untreated it can cause serious vision threatening consequences.
Macular Degeneration
By the year 2020, it is estimated that 3 million people will be diagnosed with Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). This is a degradation of the macula, or in other words the part of the retina responsible for our central vision. Early AMD will often go unnoticed as the change in vision is minimal.
While there is no cure for AMD, early detection can often make all the difference in long term preservation of eyesight as nutritional supplementation and in some cases medical treatment can be used.
Glaucoma
The optic nerve is the “cable” that sends visual information from the eye to the brain for processing.
Glaucoma is a slow deterioration of this important structure. Damage of this nature will usually decrease the sensitivity of the peripheral vision first. Often times this will go unnoticed until it has reached an advanced stage. Early detection and treatment can make a big difference in the long term preservation of your sight and often only requires medicated eye drops for intervention. It’s estimated that over 2 million Americans have glaucoma, but only half of them know it.
Dr. Gibb can be contacted at Richens Eye Center, 435-986-2020.