Vision & Voice
WHAT ADVICE
WOULD YOU GIVE
TO SENIORS WHO
ARE CONCERNED
ABOUT VISION
LOSS?
“It can’t be said often enough: a healthy body has a better
chance of maintaining healthy eyesight. The eyes are an
important part of the body, so they benefit from exercise and
a healthy diet as well. This is particularly the case with eye
diseases that are linked to other health problems, such as
diabetic retinopathy. Also, be sure to get your eyes tested
regularly—that can’t be overstated either. Some eye diseases,
such as glaucoma, don’t show symptoms until later stages.
Seeing your optometrist or ophthalmologist on a regular
basis will allow you to stay on top of any potential issues.”
Dr. Chad Andrews,
Research & education manager,
Foundation Fighting Blindness.
“Deteriorating vision is not an uncommon
concern for the aging population. Not
only can it affect your vision, but also
your quality of life. The best thing for sen-
iors who are concerned about their vision
to do is to go for routine check-ups. Early
detection is key and often enough there
may be no warning symptoms. Check
your provincial health care system as
most areas in Canada cover an eye exam
for seniors every year. Be sure to take your
prescription to a registered optician who
will ensure that you obtain not just better
vision, but the best vision possible.”
Lorne Kashin, Executive director,
Ontario Opticians Association.
“Being in this age category, I advise
seniors that come into our optical office
of the importance surrounding yearly eye
exams. A full eye exam will include a health
care check of the visual system, diseases
of the eye may be caught early. Vitamins
and a good diet are also a component of my
advice as a healthy lifestyle will support
healthy eyes. One should as well consider
having a retinal photo taken as a bench-
mark to compare at next visit. Other
general topics will include monitoring
blood sugars and exploring family health
history. I always remind my clients about
the ever-increasing dangers of ultra-violet
rays and wearing sunglasses to help prevent
damage. Mostly if you notice a problem,
get checked right away.”
Gary Maynard,
OAC board of directors,
Newfoundland and Labrador.
8 OPTICAL PRISM October 2018
“Vision is arguably the most important
sense and all too often we take it for granted.
Everyday occurrences like reading the
morning newspaper or driving to the
grocery store can quickly become a thing
of the past if regular eye exams are not
prioritized. Glaucoma, macular degenera-
tion and cataracts are among the top
leading causes of progressive vision loss.
Eye care professionals can identify these
irreversible conditions before symptoms
arise and can refer you to anophthalmol-
ogist, a physician who specializes in
diseases and surgery of the eye, for
proper treatment.”
Steve D. Levasseur, Clinical instructor,
University of British Columbia;
Diseases and Surgery of the Vitreous
and Retina; Retina Surgical Associate.