Elderly Care: Helping You Deal With the Dying Process

Elderly Care: Helping You Deal With the Dying Process

4 Most Problematic Eye Ailments And What You Can Do About Them

Julio Carr

Many people suffer from eye ailments, and these ailments can range from mildly annoying to visually debilitating. Below is a list of the most problematic eye ailments and a typical treatment for each.

1. Amblyopia (Lazy Eye)

This is a childhood problem developing only in infants and children. One eye is weaker than the other, resulting in the brain "shutting off" the weak eye. This is commonly described as a healthy eye that cannot see. Treatment involves patching the good eye forcing the brain to turn the weaker eye back on and forcing the vision to improve. Vision therapy is also used to force the brain to use the weak eye.

2. Cataracts

Cataracts are the clouding of the lens of the eye. Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness and vision loss in America today. It can occur at any age, and there are even instances where babies are born with cataracts; however, most cataracts occur in people past age 40. Cataract surgery can remove the clouded lens and replace it with an artificial lens which restores clear vision.

3. Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye condition associated with aging and results in damaging the central vision. Central vision is used for everything we do with our eyes; reading, writing, driving, and watching TV. The damage is a result of two types of AMD – wet and dry. Wet AMD is a result of blood vessels start to grow under the macula leading to bleeding and scarring which causes the damage. Dry AMD is the thinning of the macula due to age.

There is no cure for macular degeneration, but there are treatments that can slow the progression of the disease. Treatments involve laser therapy and medications injected into the eye.

4. Glaucoma

Glaucoma occurs when the normal fluid pressure in the eye increases causing damage to the vision. If caught and treated early, eyes can be protected against damage and vision loss. If not treated, glaucoma will cause damage to the optic nerve resulting in blindness.

In open-angle glaucoma, vision loss occurs over a long period without pain so it may go unnoticed and sneak up on someone. In closed-angle glaucoma, pain is usually sudden and sends the person to the eye doctor immediately. Vision loss occurs quickly in closed-angle but is more readily caught and treated early due to the discomfort.

There are many ways to treat glaucoma – pills, eye drops, surgery, and laser therapy. All of these methods focus on either reducing the fluid or draining the fluid in the eye.

While these four are the most common problematic eye ailments, be aware that there are many other eye ailments. Any time there is a change in your vision or discomfort in your eye, you should immediately seek help from a medical professional like Atlantic Eye Consultant PC - Delianides Aris P MD.


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About Me
Elderly Care: Helping You Deal With the Dying Process

As an elderly care worker, I have witnessed the deaths of many individuals. I have seen family members become angry, sad, and completely silent at the end. I have also seen individuals refuse to see family members out of denial. People deal with death in different ways, and the strong emotions are often unfamiliar and scary. If you have a parent or grandparent who is elderly, then I want to share with you what I know about end of life care and dying process. We are a society that does not talk about death, and this can cause great pain when a family member dies. Learn about the process and find out how to deal with your own emotions and how to love your family members at the end. If there is only a small amount of time left, then I want you to cherish the final moments.

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