With age, our body undergoes changes that sometimes limit our usual activities. Adult eye disease is one of the most common eye diseases. The visual system is no exception, and some visual diseases or disorders are associated with this physiological process.
Fortunately, modern medicine, in this case ophthalmology, has evolved in such a way that many pathological processes or changes that appear with age can be treated and maintain an optimal level of vision to lead a completely normal life.
The visual exams newspapers, are an important form of preventive eye care. They allow easy detection of visual problems associated with age that can trigger serious visual loss, even permanent. The visual changes caused by the passing of the years require early detection in order to prevent the negative consequences that they can trigger.
Presbyopia
For vision to take place, light must pass through the cornea and crystalline and get to the retina which will be the one that transmits the image to the brain through the optic nerve. The lens continually changes its shape to focus light from objects that are at different distances from the eye.
In young eyes, the lens is very flexible. With age, flexibility is lost. Around the age of 40, the lens begins to lose its ability to change shape and with it the ability to focus on objects that are close to us. This condition is called presbyopia and it is absolutely normal in all people from the age of 40.
There are no exercises or medications that prevent this process. When presbyopia (eyestrain) begins, to facilitate correct focus, reading glasses or bifocal lenses will be necessary. Often between the ages of 40 and 60, a change of glasses is required every two years to eliminate the blurring caused by hardening of the lens. It is a symptom of vision loss due to age.
Miodesopsias or flies
People of all ages often suffer from floating spots in their vision that look like flying insects. These “hover flies” develop in the vitreous humor, a clear, fluid-like gel that fills a large part of the eye.
With aging the vitreous sometimes separates into an aqueous part and a fibrillar part. The fibrillar part can float behind the lens and cause the sensation of dark spots in vision.
All the hover flies they are not associated with serious eye disease. They usually go away and fortunately do not cause damage to the eyes. However, a sudden increase in the number of floaters may be indicative of a ruptured blood vessel or a retinal detachment. Therefore, it is always advisable to visit the ophthalmologist when the flies appear, to determine if they are not important or if they are the beginning of a more serious problem.
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eye cataracts
All the cataracts develop when the lens loses transparency. The cause of this opacification is not fully known. Sometimes the tendency to develop Cataracts is familial or occurs after eye trauma.
Some types of cataracts develop slowly while others develop faster. If the vision is not affected by the cataract, it does not need to be removed. If the cataract causes difficulties in reading, driving, or interferes with the person's lifestyle, removal of the cloudy lens should be considered. A cataract can only be removed with surgery. Cataracts cannot be removed with a laser or another system that does not require opening the eye. Laser surgery can be used however, after the cataract surgery to open part of the membrane (capsule), which can cause opacification after cataract surgery.
Cataracts are extracted in patients of all ages, usually with excellent results. As a general rule, it is an outpatient intervention. It does not require hospitalization, where the patient goes home until the control the next day.
When the cloudy lens is removed, the eye's focusing power has to be replaced to see well. The lens is replaced by an intraocular implant (IOL). Currently, the intraocular lens is preferred for offering better quality of vision, as well as for its role as a "physiological barrier" between the two. main parts of the eyeanterior and posterior segments. The final vision of the patient will depend on the state of his retina.
Glaucoma
El glaucoma It is a disease that affects 3% of the population. In untreated cases, the optic nerve is affected, usually because intraocular pressure is elevated. Fortunately, vision loss from glaucoma we can avoid it, in most cases, if the disease is detected and treated before the optic nerve is damaged. Glaucoma, more than other eye conditions, needs to be detected early for treatment to be successful.
It is important to know that this disease does not usually produce symptoms or alterations that indicate its presence. Many people with glaucoma are not aware that they have the problem.
The best way to prevent vision loss is to have regular eye exams. With a simple and painless examination, the ophthalmologist measures the Intraocular pressure, we examine the state of the optic nerve, and we can carry out additional tests if we suspect that you may suffer from glaucoma.
If you are diagnosed with glaucoma, visual loss can be delayed or prevented with medical treatment, glaucoma surgery or ophthalmologic laser treatment. Intraocular pressure can usually be lowered with drops or tablets. If this is not enough, other alternatives such as laser or minimally invasive surgery should be used.
Successful treatment stops the visual loss caused by glaucoma. Remember that lost vision will not be restored when the damage has already occurred. Only through diagnosis with periodic medical examinations of the eyes can serious visual deterioration be prevented.
Macular degeneration associated with age
With aging, difficulties in reading and other visual tasks may appear. Although in most cases visual impairment can be corrected with glasses, this may also be due to impaired vision. taint, the central area of the retina. This region of the retina is critical for vision.
When a deterioration occurs, peripheral vision is usually not affected. Therefore, people with macular degeneration they are usually able to see well enough to function on their own and perform work that does not require extreme vision. Loss of central vision makes it more difficult to work up close and see details of distant objects.
The presence of a macular alteration usually presents with progressive loss of vision and, to date, with little chance of recovering or even stopping the damaging process. Currently there is a treatment that has been shown to be effective in the "exudative" forms of maculopathy age related. It is about coagulating the blood vessels that form in the macular area. To do this, a substance is injected that is selectively stimulated with a laser from the outside, thus the abnormal tissue is precisely eliminated, respecting the healthy retina. This treatment is known as “Photodynamic Therapy”.
Fortunately, although central vision can be seriously affected by a macular degeneration, peripheral vision will be spared. Therefore, some patients with macular degeneration who have lost their vision are able to see well enough to function and perform jobs that do not require precise central vision.
Diabetic eye problems
Diabetes can affect the eyes in a number of ways, including retinal changes characterized by the formation of blood vessels at the back of the eye. If left untreated, this can trigger a retinal detachment and blindness. Not all diabetics develop severe changes, but the likelihood of such changes increases over time.
Until recently, almost nothing could be done to stop the retinal changes caused by diabetes. Today, modern ophthalmology can use a laser beam to prevent extravasation of blood vessels and reduce the possibility of visual loss.
All diabetics should undergo regular eye exams. The purpose is to diagnose in an incipient way in the alterations of this disease, to prevent vision loss.
Who can treat eye problems associated with aging?
The visual problems exposed above, typical of age, are diagnosed and treated by an ophthalmologist. Currently there is a close collaboration between optometrists and ophthalmologists. If an optometrist detects a loss of vision or suspects any type of alteration related to the ocular apparatus, he must inform you and refer you to the ophthalmologist, since only he can treat it correctly.
Remember that the ophthalmologist is a doctor who has undergone specific training to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and all problems related to vision, so he is the professional who must ensure the health of your eyes.
