5 Common Eye Diseases In The Elderly

As you age, you might find a number of things going a bit awry with your body. One of the most common side effects of aging is the fact that your eyes will begin to lose the vigor and health that they once retained in your youth. Throughout the course of this brief article, you will learn about 5 common eye diseases that may affect you as you grow older.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is perhaps the most common form of vision loss in people that begin to grow old. Although the symptoms start out light, they can continue to exacerbate as you grow older. Over 2 million people throughout the United States are affected by this very common eye disease. Glaucoma affects individuals by essentially causing pressure behind the eye. This causes a series of blood vessels to burst behind the eye, initially. This can cause the eye to dry out and will eventually cause vision loss. There are a number of ways that glaucoma can be ameliorated – but never cured. Prescription eye drops are common among people suffering from slight forms of glaucoma, but laser eye surgery, called trabeculoplasty, is generally administered to people suffering from more severe forms of the disease.

Cataracts

Behind glaucoma, cataracts are perhaps the second most common form of eye disease that affects elderly individuals. Cataracts are protein and water that coagulate in the eye, causing a cloudy appearance, and they can also obscure your sense of vision and give you a sense that the world has a cloudy effect, as well. As you age and begin to experience this cloudy form of vision, it is recommended that you receive ocular help as soon as you can. The only way to ease the effects of cataracts is to receive eye surgery.

Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration is a more severe form of eye disease that tends to affect people as they grow old. Macular degeneration is more severe due to the fact that it affects the central source of vision. The macula is located in the central most portion of the eye and tends to degenerate as you progress in years. Although macular degeneration is rarely the cause of complete vision loss, partial vision loss is one of the many effects you might experience due to this disease; most people require some form of corrective eye wear, such as glasses or contact lenses, to correct the normative experience of sight.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is found in individuals that are suffering from diabetes. Although not everyone is prone to diabetes, it becomes much more prominent and common as you age. Diabetic retinopathy usually starts with the phenomenon of floaters, which can partially obscure a portion of your eye. Partial vision loss is common with individuals suffering from diabetic reinopathy. Laser surgery works wonders for ameliorating the damage process before the retina has been severely damaged.

Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis is a problem that occurs in numerous people as they grow old. It is not a particularly severe disease when compared with the other phenomenon listed throughout the course of this article, but it can cause annoyance and damage to the eye if not treated. Conjunctivitis can serve to dry out the eye and cause the tear ducts to stop working to the best of their abilities. Generally speaking, prescription eye drops are given to individuals suffering from this disease.

As you grow older, you might experience a number of issues relating to your eye. You do not necessarily have to consider this the end of the experience of seeing. Hopefully, this article has given you a bit of insight into how you might go about correcting these diseases that commonly affect the elderly. For more information, contact a local eye clinic like Advanced Retinal Institute Inc.