As the age advanced , the eye also shows signs of ageing and makes it important for everyone to undergo frequent eye checkup which helps us to maintain a good vision at the age we want it the most.
The common problems that usually comes with age and needs evaluation and further management are:
Cataract:
Cataract is the leading cause of treatable blindness worldwide. It has profound impact on patient’s quality of life .
A cataract is a clouding of the eye's lens and is a major cause of blindness in INDIA. Cataract can occur at any age due to a variety of causes. Patients with cataract experience diminution of vision, glare, night blindness, halos and Starbursts around lights, colours appearing duller, dimmer, or browner.
Modern cataract surgery is very different from the procedures performed 10 years ago. Cataractsurgery used to require a hospital stay and a lengthy recovery period. Buttoday, cataract surgery is a day care procedure and generally takes less than15 minutes with no stitch, no eye-pad, no injection and the patient is back tomany normal activities by the next day. Post-operative vision has dramaticallyimproved over the years with monofocal intraocular lenses (IOLs) correctingvision for distance and new high-tech IOLs such as multifocal IOLs reducingdependency on glasses for near and intermediate distance also
Diabetic retinopathy:
India is on its way to become diabetic capital of world.
with diabetes on a steep rise with associated bodily stress and lifestyle changes, the incidence of diabetic retinopathy has increased considerably
Diabetes damages the blood vessels of the retina , thereby causing damage and swelling in the retina. In advanced stages there can be severe bleeding in eye and irreparable blindness.
If detected at early stage and treated appropriately on time, it can be controlled and blindness can be easily prevented.
The most important thing is to keep the blood sugars under control and visit eye specialist atleast once in a year after the diabetes has been detected. One has to visit eye specialist more frequently if eye specialist finds existing diabetic retinopathy
Age Related Macular Degeneration:
Macula is the central portion of the retina, which gives us crisp and clear vision.
Age related degeneration can lead to severe visual impairment.
most important risk factor in developing this disease is progression of age and genetic predispostion
if one notices distortion of images, turned or tilted images ,or some obstruction in central vision, these could be signs of ARMD and need intervention by the eye specialist
Glaucoma:
Glaucoma is called as SILENT THIEF OF THE EYE
the reason is that its usually very late by the time patient realizes its symptoms.
the important risk factor for glaucoma is having a family history of glaucoma.
like there is blood pressure, there is something called as eye pressure or intraocular pressure( IOP).
one needs to check IOP on a regular basis with visit to Eye specialist
Glaucoma can be easily treated with eye drops in most of the cases and hence blindness due to glaucoma can be controlled if one undergoes regular eye checkup.
SO TO SUMMARIZE , ONE NEEDS AT-LEAST ONCE A YEAR EYE CHECKUP AFTER THE AGE OF 40.
THESE DISEASE ARE SIGHT THREATENING DISEASE AND NEEDS EARLY DIAGNOSIS AND EARLY INTERVENTION FOR US TO ENJOY GOOD VISION TILL THE END OF OUR LIVES