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Is Eye Treatment Worthwhile for Seniors? by Kate Dawson
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Is Eye Treatment Worthwhile for Seniors? |
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Health
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Elderly people are sometimes unsure whether eye treatment is still worthwhile for them. It is a fact that most people will start to experience decreased visual acuity by the age of 40 and will continue to worsen over the years. Because of unfounded fears, there are some who refuse to have treatment even though a considerable number of eye surgeries are done every year on people over the age of 50. The number one eye problem is presbyopia, a condition in which little by little, the eye loses its ability to focus on near objects. The difficulty in focusing close up is due to loss of elasticity or decreased flexibility of the lens of the eye which naturally occurs with age. Although it is not a disease and it cannot really be prevented, having poor near vision can adversely affect the quality of life. Frequent headaches can occur, eyestrain can be experienced after doing close work or long periods of reading, and there can be temporary blurring of vision when shifting between near and far vision. The most common management is wearing reading glasses during near vision or using bifocal eyewear that has a top segment for far vision and a lower segment for close vision. A procedure called refractive lens exchange or clear lens extraction where the lens of the eye is replaced with an artificial lens is an ideal procedure for people over the age of 50 to correct these refractive errors. At the same time, it gets rid of the need for cataract surgery in the next few years when the lens will expectedly become clouded by cataracts due to age. This will allow seniors to enjoy the benefits of clear vision in one operation. Cataracts are another problem for the older age group. Most cataracts develop by the age of 40 although the blurriness of vision may not be very noticeable. But the fact is that cataracts tend to cloud more and more of the lens area over time and in the next years, the haziness in vision can significantly affect vision to a point that it can pose risks to the elderly. With poor vision, there is increased danger of falls and accidents on the road and even around the home. There is no other treatment for cataracts except surgical removal. Just like in refractive lens exchange, the lens of the eye is removed and an artificial intraocular lens is put in its place. Millions of people successfully had this done and although no surgical procedure is without risks, cataract surgery is regarded as one of the most effective medical procedures due to modern advances in medicine and surgery. After the operation, the benefits for the elderly far outweigh the minimal risks associated with the procedure. The high success rate makes it possible to have restored quality vision, which is vital to an enjoyable lifestyle. Glaucoma is a dangerous eye condition in which there is an increased eye pressure inside the eye. Too much fluid pressure called intraocular pressure can damage the optic nerve, a nerve in the eye that transmits images to the brain. Because of the dangers of glaucoma, people over the age of 40 should have yearly comprehensive eye examinations to detect the condition early on. For diagnosed patients, the eye pressure should be reduced immediately either through medications or through surgery if conservative measures are not adequate. In glaucoma cases, eye treatment is definitely required. If this remains untreated, the optic nerve can become permanently damaged and total and permanent blindness can occur. As people grow older, the procedures that are available depend not only upon the age but also on the general health of the body and condition of the eyes. All types of surgeries have risks but with proper evaluation, the eye surgeon can tailor a minimally invasive procedure that will give the most benefit to the patient. Most experienced eye surgeons could perform treatment for eye problems for people at just about any stage in life. The most commonly done operations for seniors are clear lens extraction wherein the diseased natural lens is replaced with lens implants for correction of blurry vision and treatment of cataracts in one operative procedure. Over the years, eye treatments have been developed to be safe for everyone and having good vision is good enough reason to have eye treatment even in the later years.
Related Articles -
lens implants, treatment for eye, clear lens extraction,
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