Senior Vision Care

Keeping your eyes healthy after 60

Seniors are more prone to developing eye diseases that may have a permanent effect on their vision. That’s why the doctors at Bouquet Mulligan DeMaio Eye Professionals recommend annual eye exams beginning at age 65. Early detection and treatment is vital to helping avoid vision loss caused by these diseases.

Some of the conditions older adults are susceptible to include:

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) — AMD is an eye disease that affects the macula (the center of the light-sensitive retina at the back of the eye) and causes central vision loss. Activities such as reading, driving, watching TV and recognizing faces all require good central vision provided by the macula

Cataracts — Cataracts are cloudy or opaque areas in the normally clear lens of the eye. Depending upon their size and location, they can interfere with normal vision. Cataracts can cause blurry vision, decreased contrast sensitivity, decreased ability to see under low light level conditions (such as when driving at night), dulling of colors and increased sensitivity to glare.

Diabetic retinopathy — People with diabetes may develop this condition, which results from damage to the tiny blood vessels that nourish the retina. These damaged blood vessels leak blood and other fluids that cause retinal tissue to swell and cloud vision. At its most severe, diabetic retinopathy can cause blindness.

Dry eye — This is a common problem that results from the eye producing too few or poor-quality tears. Tears maintain the health of the front surface of the eye and provide clear vision.

Glaucoma — Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases characterized by damage to the optic nerve resulting in loss of peripheral (side) vision. If left untreated, glaucoma can lead to total blindness. People with a family history of glaucoma, African Americans and older adults have a higher risk of developing the disease.

Retinal detachment —Retinal detachment, the tearing or separation of the retina from the underlying tissue, most often occurs spontaneously due to changes to the gel-like vitreous fluid that fills the back of the eye. Other causes include trauma to the eye or head, health problems such as advanced diabetes, as well as inflammatory eye disorders. If not treated promptly, it can cause permanent vision loss.

Don’t put your vision at risk. Contact us today.