SPECIAL SECTION: HEALTHY LIVING
brighter lighting. Surgery can also be done to remove the cloudy
lens and replace it with an artificial lens.
u 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.
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