Anticipate age-related vision problems

The risk of developing major eye diseases that can lead to vision loss or blindness increases with age. Different studies indicate that people over 60 are the population group most affected by these pathologies, which is important to diagnose and treat early.

Impact on quality of life

Loss of vision in advanced ages is especially limiting, since there is less adaptability than in younger ages, and the visual problem in addiction to other physical and psychic conditions, causing falls, fear of going outside, difficulties in driving, etc. Similarly, this limitation can affect the ability to be relate to the environment and participate in various social activities, leads to a feeling of isolation.

Among the main eye diseases related to age, cataract stands out, for example, which is produced by the opacification of the lens (the natural lens of the eye). Your surgery is the most practiced eye intervention and you will be informed, especially when the cataract hinders your autonomy and the development of your daily activities, or if there is a risk of eye complications associated

While the loss of vision caused by cataract can be corrected by surgery, the reduction in the visual field triggered by glaucoma due to optic nerve damage is irreversible.
The treatment of this pathology – is another eye problem that increases, especially after 60 years of age– it aims to prevent glaucoma from progressing, either by eye drops (drops), laser or surgery. However, since the disease is not noticeable until severe phases, to be able to stop it in time it is essential that you carry out routine eye examinations.

These periodic visits to the ophthalmologist are equally essential to alert us to some pathologies of the retina that can also go unnoticed in the initial stages and whose prevalence also increases as we age. This is the case of DMAE –degenerative disease that affects the center of the retina, the macula, responsible for central and detailed vision– or diabetic retinopathy –retinal lesions caused by metabolic decompensation caused by diabetes

For one of the types of DMAE (the wet form, which is the one that progresses more quickly), and for some cases of diabetic retinopathy, intraocular injections of drugs are an effective solution that allows maintaining and even recovering vision at levels very satisfying.

Active role as patient

Although it is true that age is an important risk factor in the development of these eye diseases, it is not the only one that you should take into account, since it is multifactorial pathologies. The key is that we can detect them early and prevent them by minimizing their avoidable factors, for which it is highly recommended that you adopt healthy habits that benefit your eye and the general well-being of your body.