Keep an Eye on Your Vision.
As we age, we all can expect changes in our vision. In fact, the leading causes of blindness and low vision in the United States are primarily eye diseases that occur with aging such as age-related macular degeneration, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma.
The bad news is that many of these common eye problems have no early symptoms. The good news is that, with regular eye exams, many of these problems can be prevented and/or treated.
The top vision problems:
- Vision impairment
- Age-related macular degeneration
- Cataract
- Glaucoma
- Diabetic retinopathy
Treating common vision problems
Vision impairments are the most frequent eye problems in the United States. These refractive errors include:
- Nearsightedness (myopia)
- Farsightedness (hyperopia)
- Astigmatism (distorted vision at all distances)
- Presbyopia, the loss of ability to focus up close, which typically hits from age 40 to age 50.
Nearly every one of these conditions can be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses, or surgery. Studies by the National Eye Institute (NEI) indicate that proper refractive correction could improve vision among 11 million Americans 12 years and older.
Age-related macular degeneration
Macular degeneration damages sharp and central vision. There are two forms—wet and dry. Dry is the most common, affecting 90 percent of people who have the condition, according to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation (AMDF).
The retina is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye that is crucial to good vision. The macula, sometimes called the bull’s-eye of the retina, gives us the straight-ahead vision we use to see faces, read, and drive, the AMDF says.
In dry macular degeneration, retinal deterioration is associated with the formation of small yellow deposits, called drusen, under the macula. The macula thins, dries out, and loses its function. The amount of central vision loss is directly related to the location and amount of retinal thinning.
Wet macular degeneration
Wet macular degeneration is the more advanced type. While it affects only 10 percent to 15 percent of people with the condition, it accounts for 90 percent of severe vision loss caused by macular degeneration, the Macular Degeneration Partnership says. With this condition, abnormal blood vessels grow underneath the retina and can leak fluid and blood, which can lead to swelling and can damage the macula, the National Eye Institute explains.
Treatment for early dry macular degeneration is generally nutritional therapy. Wet macular degeneration can be treated with lasers, which can be limited in effectiveness, and injections of certain drugs with a higher success rate.
Cataract
Cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens. It is the leading cause of vision loss in America and the leading cause of blindness worldwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control. About 20.5 million Americans 40 and older have a cataract in one or both eyes.
Early symptoms such as dim, blurry, or double vision and light sensitivity might be addressed with new glasses, better lighting, or magnifying lenses. If none of those helps and vision loss interferes with everyday activities such as driving and reading, surgery is the only answer. The cloudy lens will be surgically removed and replaced with an artificial one. It is one of the most common operations performed in the U.S., according to the National Eye Institute.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma damages the eye’s optic nerve, resulting in vision loss and blindness. Several large studies have shown that eye pressure is a major risk factor for optic nerve damage. But not every person with increased eye pressure will develop glaucoma.
At first, glaucoma has no symptoms, causes no pain and does not affect vision. Without treatment, people with glaucoma will slowly lose their peripheral vision. Increasingly, they might feel as if they are looking through a tunnel. Over time, vision can worsen until the person is blind.
There is no cure for glaucoma. However, immediate treatment for early-stage glaucoma can delay its progression, which is why regular eye exams are important. Treatments include prescription eye drops or pills, laser and conventional surgery to drain fluid, or a combination of any of these. These treatments cannot restore sight lost from glaucoma.
Diabetic retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes and a leading cause of blindness in American adults. At first, diabetic retinopathy produces no noticeable vision changes. Over time, the retina’s blood vessels are progressively damaged and vision loss results, according to the NEI. It usually affects both eyes.
The risk of this complication increases the longer a person has diabetes. Studies have shown that controlling diabetes slows the onset and worsening. Early detection and treatment can reduce the risk of blindness by 95 percent, the NEI reports. Depending on the developing symptoms, treatment can include injection drugs, laser surgery, and corticosteroids, according to the NEI.