IN Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall Winter 2018 | страница 31

HEALTH & WELLNESS S P E C I A L S E C T I O N
of cataracts increase greatly with age, with
more than half of all Americans either
having a cataract or having had cataract
surgery by the age of 80. People in their
40s and 50s can have cataracts, but they
are typically small and do not affect
vision. Cataracts are detected by blurred
vision, faded colors, glare from headlights
or lamps, poor night vision, double
vision, or frequent prescription changes
in eyeglasses or contact lenses. Early
detection can improve cataracts through
new eyeglasses, anti-glare sunglasses
or brighter lighting. Surgery can also
be done to remove the cloudy lens and
replace it with an artificial lens.
• Age-Related Macular Degeneration
(AMD): One of the common but lesser
known eye conditions is AMD. A leading
cause of vision loss among people 50
years of age and older, AMD affects the
macula, the millions of light-sensing
cells that provide your eye with sharp,
central vision. Age is a major risk factor
for developing AMD, with most cases
occurring after the age of 60. Genetics,
race, and smoking can also affect risk for
AMD. A comprehensive eye exam can
detect it through dilation and testing.
Your eye care professional will look
for yellow deposits beneath the retina
to determine whether you have AMD.
Intermediate and late AMD can be
treated with daily intake of vitamins and
minerals that can slow the progression
of the disease. Therapy and surgery can
also be considered for types of advanced
neovascular AMD, which typically results
in severe vision loss, to stop further
progression.
Hearing Loss and Prevention
It is common for hearing loss to occur
as you age. According to the Mayo Clinic,
about 25 percent of people in the United
States between the ages of 55 and 64 have
some degree of hearing loss, increasing
to one in two people by age 65 and older.
Chronic exposure to loud noises and
aging are the two main causes of hearing
loss, resulting in the perception of muffled
speech from others, difficulty understanding
words, frequent requests for others to repeat
themselves, loud volume on the television
or radio, and avoidance of social settings.
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