Spring and summer yield the most beautiful and colorful array of flowers, plants, trees and animals. The sun is high in the atmosphere and the sky takes on an array of hues. They only deepen in the Fall. These are precious views. Ones that we shouldn’t miss because of carelessness with a very precious commodity: Our Eyesight.
In America, more than 3 billion people go blind every year, often from problems that could have been avoided. Annual visual exams are recommended for all ages and general eye exams at least every 3 years. In addition to these, if you notice signs such as having to squint when you didn’t previously, excessive watering, bleeding, discoloration, itching or redness, feelings of pain, sensation or pressure in your eyes, frequent headaches either in the front of your head or the back of your head, distortions in vision, bright lights, light streaks or dark streaks, frequent blind spots or other eye concerns that are different, you should get an exam.
As we age, there are other syndromes that we might watch for. One common problem is cataracts. This is a cloudiness of the lens of the eye that can cause blurred vision. It may occur in one eye or both. This problem can be corrected with surgery but can progress to total loss of vision in the affected eye without it.
Cataracts are usually easily treatable by minor outpatient surgical procedures that take only a short amount of time for recovery. Generally, the prognosis is good and most of the time, sight will improve with treatment. Regular eye check ups will keep your doctor informed and well on top of this malady should it arise.
Another common eye malady is glaucoma. Glaucoma is a problem with increased intraocular pressure in the anterior and posterior chambers of the eye. There are 2 types: Chronic Open-Angle, which can present with no symptoms initially but has caused considerable damage by the time the symptoms of gradual loss of peripheral (side) vision that will eventually lead to loss of central vision and result in complete blindness without treatment. In this type, there is a blockage in the drainage system of the fluid that should flow freely in these chambers that results in the increase in pressure.
The second type, Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma, the mouth of the drainage system is narrow and can close completely, which, again, causes a marked increase in the intraocular pressure. The elevation of pressure in this type is significantly higher than the latter, presenting with the immediate symptoms of blurred vision, severe pain, headaches, redness, photophobia, floaters and “halos”. This aspect means that left untreated, the patient will rapidly loose their sight and possibly become completely blind in a matter of a few days.
Both of these are easily treatable if discovered early. That’s why we recommend glaucoma screening. Discovered early, it is treatable and curable. Discovered late, blindness is unavoidable.
Other problems that may occur with aging include presbyopia which is blindness due to aging, retinal detachments which are treatable by surgery and macular degeneration. In addition, there are a host of other ailments that may not cause blindness but can cause a variety of discomfort and distortion in vision. These include but are not limited to double vision, near and far sightedness, eye infections or injuries, astigmatism, refractive errors and more. Many are treatable if discovered early, so check ups are essential.
Other precautions to take with your eyes include keeping them clean and dust and particle free, keeping your eyeglass prescriptions current, not exposing our eyes to excess heat or cold, having your doctor treat infections promptly and getting enough rest. Also those with known circulatory problems such as diabetes, hypertension, eye surgery or other eye affecting diseases should definitely have frequent checks throughout the year because of the greater risk of complications.
Beauty IS IN THE “EYES OF THE BEHOLDER!” Let’s keep our eyes healthy and our vision clear in order to:
Keep beholding our beautiful world!
by Barbara Crossley Davis
