SPECIAL SECTION: HEALTHY LIVING
u
blood vessels that lead to the retina.
Proper management of diabetes is the
best way to prevent vision loss.
u Glaucoma: The second leading cause of
blindness, glaucoma is a group of diseases
that damage the eye’s optic nerve. The
risk of developing glaucoma increases
with age and if parents or siblings
have the disease. During an eye exam,
glaucoma can be detected by measuring
eye pressure, inspecting the drainage
angle of the eye, evaluating the health of
the optic nerve and testing the visual field
of each eye. Depending on the type and
severity of the disease, glaucoma can be
treated through eye drops, medication or
surgery.
u Cataracts: A cataract affects vision by
clouding the lens of the eye. Chances 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.
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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 AMD through dilation and
testing. Your eye care professional will
look for yellow deposits beneath the
retina to determine if 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 muffled speech from others, difficulty
understanding words, frequently asking
others to repeat themselves, loud volume on
the television or radio, and avoidance of social
settings.
Hearing loss occurs when there is damage
to the inner ear, infection in the ear, or
ruptured eardrum. Damage to the inner ear
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