Eye Conditions Affecting the Elderly

As you age, you become more prone to developing several eye conditions that may lead to serious visual problems if not properly treated. Here are some of the more common ones:

• Presbyopia -- Presbyopia leads to problems focusing on near objects. It can often develop as early as your 40s, but after the age of 65, it may get significantly worse. Reading glasses are generally required to correct vision issues caused by presbyopia.
  
• Cataracts -- While cataracts can develop at any age, they are most common in people over the age of 65. Cataracts occur when your eye's lens becomes cloudy, causing blurred vision, increased glare at night, and decreased contrast sensitivity. If untreated, cataracts can lead to blindness. Surgery is generally required to replace your damaged lens with an artificial lens.
  
• Glaucoma -- Glaucoma is generally caused by increased intraocular pressure and is most common in people over the age of 65. At first, you may experience a loss of peripheral vision; however, over time, untreated glaucoma may lead to blindness. Early detection is crucial to proper treatment.
  
• Macular Degeneration -- As you age, your macula may break down due to reduced blood and nutrient supply. This condition may result in mild to severe vision loss.
  
• Dry Eyes -- As you get older, your tear glands start producing fewer tears, resulting in dry eyes. Symptoms of dry eyes include dry, gritty, and burning eyes.
  
• Epiphora -- This condition is somewhat the opposite of dry eyes. As your skin loses elasticity, the openings in the inner corners of your eye lids begin to droop, inhibiting tear drainage. As a result, you may experience excessive tearing.
  

It is important to remember that as you age, you should go for an annual eye examination with your ophthalmologist to make sure you are not developing one of these age-related eye conditions. Early detection is always the best way to ensure proper treatment.

You can use the links at the bottom of this page to find a qualified ophthalmologist in your area.

Cater Your LASIK Procedure to Enhance Your Lifestyle

Advances in LASIK technology have enabled ophthalmologists cater LASIK procedures to fit the specific needs of individual patients. As a result, many people are now opting for "designer corneas."

LASIK has become one of the most common surgical procedures in the country today for several reasons. It has one of the highest success rates of any surgical procedure. It also greatly improves the quality of life for people who have dealt with the hassles of glasses or contact lenses for most of their lives.

While some people choose to get LASIK simply to avoid wearing corrective lenses, more often, people are opting for laser eye surgery to either enhance their lifestyle or improve their career. Fighter pilots, snipers, professional athletes, and long distance drivers are just a few of the people who have greatly benefited from improved distance vision.

However, advances in technology have prompted some of these people to ask their ophthalmologist to alter their procedure to suit the needs of their career. It is not uncommon for military fighter pilots to request vision correction beyond 20/20 to help in combat. Truck drivers frequently will opt for Wavefront LASIK, which uses computer 3D imaging technology to more precisely eliminate higher order aberrations such as halos or glare at night. Politicians who do not want to wear reading glasses when giving speeches have opted for LASIK procedures that permanently give them monovision.

It is clear that as LASIK technology continues to progress, more and more people will choose laser eye surgery as a means to advance their professional lives. It will be interesting to see what can be accomplished by LASIK ten years from now.

You can use the links at the bottom of this page to find a qualified LASIK surgeon in your area.

Gorilla Undergoes Successful Cataract Surgery

A gorilla at the Miami Metrozoo recently underwent successful cataract surgery on both eyes. Josephine, the 42-year-old gorilla, had been suffering from cataracts for years and was nearly blind.

The cataract surgery was performed last Friday. While the procedure is very common with humans, less than a dozen gorillas have ever gone through with the surgery. The procedure was considered very risky due to Josephine's age and the fact that she had to be anesthetized.

Zoo representatives have called the procedure a success, and Josephine was returned to her exhibit Monday morning. While very few gorillas have ever received cataract surgery, their eyes are similar to human eyes. Josephine is expected to fully recover in a short period of time.

Josephine has been "showing amazement" at the new world she can finally see. She has been almost blind for many years, and she can now see a great deal of her surroundings for the first time in a long time.

Ron Magill, a Miami Metrozoo employee, told reporters, "It's as if a light switch has been turned on in her life and all of the little things can once again be appreciated."