It is important to take care of the eyes in the elderly. Many things can make the eyesight suffer, including age, smoke and pollution, and bright lights.
These factors can also make it difficult for seniors to see clearly. Elderly people also tend to have less vision in one or both eyes, which can lead to difficulty with reading, understanding information, and making decisions.
Why is taking care of the eyes critical in the elderly?
When we think of our elderly loved ones, we often think of their physical health first and foremost. However, their vision health is just as important – if not more so. As they age, their eyesight naturally deteriorates.
This is why taking care of eyesight is so important, especially as they get older.
There are a number of things that can contribute to poor eyesight in the elderly, including:
- Presbyopia: This is the age-related loss of near vision. It’s caused by the hardening of the lens inside the eye, which makes it difficult to focus on close objects.
- Cataracts: A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens. Cataracts are common in older adults and can make vision fuzzy or cloudy.
- Glaucoma: This is a condition that damages the optic nerve, which carries information from the eye to the brain. Glaucoma can lead to blindness if it’s not treated.
- Macular degeneration: This is a deterioration of the macula, which is the central part of the retina (the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye). Macular degeneration can cause vision to become blurry or distorted.
There are a few things you can do to take care of your elderly eyes:
- Get regular eye exams to check for problems: Regular eye exams can help to check for problems at elderly people. This can include things like vision problems, cataracts, and other eye problems.
- Clean and protect your eyes with a mild soap solution every day: The eye is one of the most important organs in the body and it is important to keep your eyes clean and healthy. A mild soap solution every day can help check for problems at elderly.
- Care must begin early: The primary goal is to keep eyes healthy andaintain vision. This starts with good eye hygiene, including proper flushing and drinking, and avoiding medical problems that can lead to blindness.
- Prevention is key: Keeping eyes healthy means preventing problems such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts from developing. Cataracts are the most common type of eye disease, and they’re often caused by age-related change in light exposure.
- Treatment: Once a problem has been identified, treatment typically involves surgery or a combination of drugs and exercises. Surgery may be needed to remove a cataract.
5 common eye problems associated with ageing
When we age, our bodies change in many ways. Our skin gets thinner and drier. We lose muscle mass and bone density. And our eyesight often worsens.
Age-related eye problems are common, but they don’t have to be a part of growing older. There are things you can do to keep your eyes healthy as you age.
Here are five common eye problems associated with ageing:
1. Cataracts
A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens. Age-related cataracts are the most common type of cataract. They usually develop slowly and can eventually interfere with your vision.
Symptoms of cataracts include:
- Blurry vision
- Difficulty seeing at night
- Halos around lights
- Sensitivity to light
Cataracts can be treated with surgery to remove the cloudy lens and replace it with a clear artificial lens.
2. Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve. Optic nerve damage can lead to vision loss.
Glaucoma is often associated with increased pressure in the eye. But not all people with glaucoma have high eye pressure.
There are different types of glaucoma, but the one which is most common is open-angle glaucoma. This type of glaucoma develops slowly and painlessly.
Symptoms of glaucoma include:
- Gradual loss of peripheral vision (side vision)
- Tunnel vision
- Eye pain
Glaucoma can be treated with eye drops, pills, laser surgery, or conventional surgery.
3. Macular Degeneration
Macular degeneration is a disease that damages the macula. The macula is the part of the eye that allows you to see fine details clearly.
With macular degeneration, your central vision may become blurry or you may develop blind spots. But your peripheral vision is usually not affected.
Macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss in people over age 60.
There are two types of macular degeneration:
- Dry macular degeneration. This is the most common type. It happens when the macula dries out and wastes away.
- Wet macular degeneration. This is less common but more serious. It happens when abnormal blood vessels grow under the macula. These vessels may leak blood or other fluids, leading to vision loss.
Macular degeneration can’t be cured. But treatments are available to slow the progression of the disease and preserve your vision.
4. Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes. Retinopathy is a condition when blood sugar levels goes high and it eventually damage the blood vessels in the retina.
Diabetic retinopathy can lead to loss of vision and blindness.
Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy include:
- Blurry vision
- Floaters (tiny specks in your vision)
- Blind spots
- Difficulty seeing at night
Diabetic retinopathy can be treated with laser surgery, surgery to remove the damaged blood vessels, or injections of drugs into the eye.
5. Dry Eye
The Dry eye is a condition that occurs when the eyes don’t make enough tears or the tears evaporate too quickly.
The Dry eye can make your eyes feel irritated, itchy, and uncomfortable. It can also cause blurred vision.
Age, certain medications, and health conditions can make dry eye more likely.
Dry eye can be treated with artificial tears, eye drops, or ointments. In some cases, surgery may be needed.
