One aspect of health that you might want to look at in your elderly loved one is their eye health. It is very common for vision to change as one gets older and older. In fact, there are some common eye issues that often happen later in life. Learning what these common eye issues are can help to ensure your elderly loved one protects and manages their eye health from this point on.
AMD or Age-Related Macular Degeneration
One of the most common eye issues that happen later in life is called AMD or age-related macular degeneration. This disease affects the center of the retina’s light-sensitive area. This is located near the backside of the eye. The macula is what allows people to see colors and fine details. This disease causes issues with seeing when driving, reading, recognizing faces, and watching television. However, peripheral vision isn’t affected by AMD. If you or your elderly loved one suspect they have age-related macular degeneration, schedule them an appointment with their eye doctor.
Cataracts
Another one of the age-related eye issues is cataracts. With this condition, there are cloudy areas in the eye. The cloudy effect happens in the lens area. Depending on the location and the size of cataracts, normal vision can be affected. Many cataracts happen over time. Your elderly loved one might notice small changes in their vision. These changes may gradually change. If this is the case, they might have cataracts. These can be diagnosed during an eye exam.
Glaucoma
Another common eye issue that happens later in life is called glaucoma. This isn’t just one disease. It is a combination of eye diseases. With these diseases, there is optic nerve damage. This eye disease occurs in families. Other people who have a higher risk of glaucoma are elderly adults and African Americans. Usually, there is no pain or symptoms early on with glaucoma. However, over time, vision loss can occur. In fact, the most common reason for blindness in the elderly is glaucoma.
These are some of the common eye issues that happen later in life. If your elderly loved one is dealing with any eye or vision changes, they should schedule an appointment with their eye doctor. It should also be mentioned that people who experience vision loss due to these diseases may need help around their home. They may also need help getting personal care tasks done. If your elderly loved one has been diagnosed with an eye disease, you can hire home care services providers to help them with certain things.
Sources:https://www.cdc.gov/visionhealth/basics/ced/index.html#:~:text=The%20leading%20causes%20of%20blindness,disorders%20include%20amblyopia%20and%20strabismus.
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