HEALTH & WELLNESS S P E C I A L S E C T I O N
• 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.
• 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.
Hearing loss occurs when there is damage to the inner
ear, infection in the ear, or ruptured eardrum. Damage to
the inner ear can happen with age, or constant exposure to
loud noises over an extended period of time. These cause
wear on the nerve cells in the cochlea that send sound to the
brain. When they are damaged, signals aren’t transmitted
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WEST MIFFLIN
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