Common Eye Diseases Among the Aging

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With age sometimes comes a natural decline in visual acuity that’s related to a more serious condition. Your eye doctor in Wellington, FL, can help you care for your vision as you grow older by performing regular eye exams and diagnosing eye diseases in their earliest stages. Some of the more common eye conditions that affect older Americans include the following.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) affects the macula. This is the central portion of the retina that allows you to see fine details. It’s also responsible for your central vision. If you have AMD, you may notice that straight lines appear wavy or that your central vision seems blurry.

Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy affects the retina. It occurs when high levels of sugar in the bloodstream block the tiny blood vessels that feed the retina. As a result, new, inferior blood vessels from that may leak or bleed, causing dark or empty spots to appear in your vision.

Cataracts
A cataract is a cloudy film that forms over the lens of the eye. This is a very common eye condition that affects nearly 50 percent of people aged 80 or older. When you develop a cataract, you may first notice that your vision seems cloudy, hazy, or lacks color.

Glaucoma
Glaucoma refers to an entire category of eye diseases that affect the optic nerve. Your optic nerve is the nerve that receives light signals from the retina and sends them onto the brain for interpretation. When something interferes with these signals, it becomes impossible for your brain to receive and interpret these images, resulting in total vision loss or difficulty seeing images on either side of your nose or face.

For help with eye disease brought on by normal aging in Wellington, FL, call Family Vision Center PA, today.

How Will I Know If I Have Glaucoma?

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Glaucoma is a serious eye condition that can eventually cause blindness. Glaucoma treatment can control the condition and slow the onset of symptoms. Everyone is at risk for glaucoma, although some people are at higher risk than others. You can protect yourself from blindness related to glaucoma by seeing your eye doctor in Wellington, FL, and in the surrounding area.

What Is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a condition that damages the optic nerve in the eye, usually due to a buildup of pressure in the eye. Glaucoma can cause permanent vision loss or blindness, if left untreated for long enough.

Are There Symptoms of Glaucoma?

The unfortunate thing about glaucoma is that it often has no symptoms in the early stages. Many people don’t know they have glaucoma until they’ve experienced some vision loss and have gone to the eye doctor.

The only person who can tell if you have glaucoma during these early stages is the eye doctor. Your eye doctor can determine whether you have glaucoma by performing an eye exam.

Eye exams that detect glaucoma are not like standard eye exams for vision clarity. In fact, your eye doctor must be able to see into your eye in order to determine whether you have glaucoma.

To do this, your eye doctor will dilate your eyes. When this happens, the doctor will put drops in your eyes to dilate the pupils. Your vision will become blurry and you’ll become temporarily sensitive to light. When the dilation wears off, your vision will return to normal.

Get an Eye Exam

If you’ve never had a vision exam to test for glaucoma, now is the time. This is especially important if you’re over 60 years old, have diabetes, or if you’re in some other way at risk for glaucoma. To determine your risk for this condition, see the eye doctor. Your eye doctor at Family Vision Center PA can let you know whether you’re at risk for glaucoma and what you can do to protect yourself.

Call today to make an appointment for an eye exam in Wellington, FL, or to find out more about glaucoma treatment.