Caring for Your Eyes

Mature Adults - Ages 60+

Eye diseases increase the need for eye examinations.

People more than 60 years of age should see their eye doctor annually for a vision assessment and eye-health check, even more often if they have a history of problems such as glaucoma or age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is a very serious eye disorder caused by a weakened macula, the small central portion of the retina, which destroys center vision. AMD, along with glaucoma and diabetic eye disease, is a leading cause of blindness for mature persons.

To check for AMD, the doctor uses an ophthalmoscope to look for changes in the retina, and tests patients with the Amsler grid, a chart on which lines look straight if the macula is normal, but appear distorted or missing if there is a problem with the macula. In addition, sometimes a fluorescein angiogram is performed to test for AMD. For this procedure, a special dye is injected into an arm vein, and photos are taken of the eye as the dye travels through the eye's blood vessels.

Those most at risk for AMD include:

• Blue-eyed Caucasians
• Post-menopausal women who are not taking estrogen replacement therapy
• People with a history of cardiac disease, drug use, cigarette smoking, and decreased physical activity
• People who don't eat many vegetables

Glaucoma, a disease in which the optic nerve fibers are damaged by elevated pressure of the fluid within the eye, is one of the leading cause of blindness in adults and the foremost cause of blindness among the African-American population. Anyone, however, can be stricken with glaucoma. Medications can sometimes reduce the eye pressure, but surgery may be necessary. If not caught in time, the damage may be beyond repair.

Diabetic eye disease is another leading cause of blindness in mature adults, and anyone with diabetes should have frequent eye examinations. The disease weakens tiny blood vessels that nourish the retina and may cause them to leak. That leakage causes a variety of complications, including the formation of scar tissue on the retina, a decrease in nourishment to the retina, or blood in the vitreous humor (fluid that fills the inner cavity of the eye), causing cloudy vision. If the condition is not caught and treated during the early stages, it can result in blindness.

Another eye problem that affects most people over the age of 60 is cataracts. Cataracts are a clouding of the natural lens of the eye, usually caused by aging or excessive exposure over the years to ultraviolet rays from the sun. During modern cataract surgery, this natural lens is removed and replaced by an intraocular lens. Cataract surgery has one of the highest success rates of any surgery performed today.

Turn up the lights.

As people mature, the amount of light that enters the eyes continually decreases, usually the result of cataracts. For reading and other close tasks, a brighter light will be needed to see properly. Use a higher wattage light bulb, or position lamps close to your work or reading area.

Driving requires good vision, so in maturity, it's important to pay close attention to any signals of decreased vision. Night driving can become difficult for mature drivers because the eyes need more light for sharp vision. Some drivers like to keep night driving to a minimum and travel only on well-lighted roads. Make sure that headlights are clean and properly adjusted.