vessels that lead to the retina. Proper
management of diabetes is the best way
to prevent vision loss.
• 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.
• 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,
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