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Overview of the Eye Problem Called Macular Hole in People over the Age of 60 by Kate Dawson
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Overview of the Eye Problem Called Macular Hole in People over the Age of 60 by KATE DAWSON
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| Article Posted: 05/20/2011 |
| Article Views: 63 |
| Articles Written: 122 - MORE ARTICLES FROM THIS AUTHOR |
| Word Count: 649 |
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Overview of the Eye Problem Called Macular Hole in People over the Age of 60 |
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Health,Fitness
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Through the years, the eye goes through several changes that can be attributed to the normal ageing process. From the age of 60 and beyond, there are slight vision changes that typically occur. One must be aware that not all eye changes can be due to ageing. Sometimes, blurriness can be due to more serious conditions. One of the diseases that can affect older adults is the development of a macular hole. The main parts of the eye are the cornea, iris, lens, retina, and optic nerve. The cornea is the clear front covering of the eye. If the shape is irregular, it can lead to short sightedness or long sightedness. The iris is the coloured opening of the eye that opens or closes to adjust the amount of light that enters the eye. The lens allows the eye to focus on close or far objects. The retina is found at the back of the eye and if the image is properly focused here, the image seen will be sharp. The optic nerve brings the signal from the retina to the brain where it is interpreted. The retina is like a screen that is made up of millions of light sensitive cells. The macula is located in the region of the centre of the retina. It is a highly sensitive part that is responsible for seeing fine detail and making tasks such as reading possible. When there is a small break in the macula, this is termed as macular hole. The eye is filled with a gel like substance which is firmly attached to the macula. With age, this gel substance begins to sag and shrink and then separates from the retina. Sometimes, this separation creates traction or pulling on the macula, causing the formation of a hole, thus the term macular hole. Macular holes often develop gradually. The first noticeable sign may be blurriness in straight ahead vision or central vision. Sometimes, straight lines appear wavy or bent. Reading may also become difficult. Tasks that require seeing details can be hard to perform. Some people also notice a grey area in the central vision. As the hole progresses, a blind spot develops in the central vision. Macular holes can also arise from common eye disorders such as high myopia or short sightedness and eye diseases such diabetic retinopathy, and injury to the eye. Macular holes usually occur in people over 60 years old. Females are also more susceptible to develop the disease. Macular holes can develop suddenly although it commonly progresses slowly through the years. There are stages in the development of this condition, from stage 1 to stage 4. At the outset, one may become aware of missing letters while reading. In more advanced cases, there is a noticeable missing spot in the vision or even a large degree of central vision loss. Without treatment, about half of stage 1 cases will progress. For more advanced cases, there is a higher percentage that these will go on to the next stage. If left untreated, this can lead to a detached retina, a medical emergency that causes vision loss and blindness. If a macular hole exists, there is a 10 to 15 percent of developing the condition in the other eye as well. There are instances where it resolves without treatment but in most cases, surgery is needed to close the hole and prevent permanent loss of vision. Some patients who are severely short sighted can also develop macular holes. Even after vision correction through refractive surgery, these patients can still go through surgical repair of macular hole and can have successful vision restoration. People who are 60 years old and above need to be aware of the importance of yearly eye examinations to identify early signs and symptoms of macular macular hole which can easily go undetected by the individual.
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