Lions Clubs International Foundation and Womens Eye Health'org

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Lions Clubs International FoundationandWomens
Eye Health.org

• Eye Health for Seniors
• Your Aging Eyes and
• Clear Vision for Life

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Attention Seniors

• By age 65, one in three Americans have some
  vision-impairing eye disease
• Most dont know itoften there are no
• early warning signs
• Poor sight is not a natural part of aging
• You can take measures to preserve your sight
• Have eye disease detected and treated early
• Visit an eye doctor at least every 1-2 years

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Did you know that

• Three-fourths (75) of all blindness and vision
  impairment is either preventable or treatable
• The same good health habits that protect your
  heart and lungs also help your eyes
• It is never too late to take care of your eyes

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Importance of Good Vision for Seniors

• Independence working, driving and cooking
• Quality of life reading, watching TV and
• seeing grandchildren
• Mental health less isolation and
• depression
• Physical health fewer falls, which
• could lead to bone fractures

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Age-related Eye Conditions More Common in Seniors

• Presbyopia
• Dimming of vision
• Cataract(s)
• Dry eye
• Glaucoma
• AMD (age-related macular degeneration)

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Aging What most seniors can expect

• Presbyopia
• Diminished ability to focus on near objects
• Happens to nearly everyone
• Often first noticed between ages 40-50
• Typically results in the need for reading glasses
  or bifocals

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Presbyopia What to do

• Make sure your eyeglasses are correct for both
  distance and reading
• Visit an eye-care professional at least every two
  years
• For convenience, buy several pairs of inexpensive
  reading glasses

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Aging Dimmer vision

• Caused by
• Slight loss of retinal function
• Beginning cataract(s)

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Dimmer Vision What to do

• Use brighter lighting for reading
• For safety, make sure your home is
• well lit
• See your eye doctor if there is a sudden loss of
  vision

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Cataract

• Caused by eyes lens becoming opaque
• Nearly everyone will have them by age 90
• Smoking increases incidence of some types
• Symptoms include
• 1. Dark, fuzzy vision even with glasses
• 2. Glare
• 3. Halos around bright lights (dangerous for
• driving)

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Cataract What to do

• When your eye doctor thinks your cataract(s) are
  ripe have them removed surgically
• This is a very common, simple and successful
  procedure
• Surgery involves implanting an artificial lens
  (No more coke-bottle glasses)

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Dry Eye

• Very prevalent in people over 55
• Two-to-three times more common in women
• Caused by insufficient tears or by eyelid
  inflammation
• Persistently painful, stinging or itchy eyes
• Causes much suffering
• Sometimes leads to serious infection

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Dry Eye What to do

• Artificial tears are mainstay of treatment
• Try different eye drops to find best for you
• Eye ointment at bedtime may help
• Avoid wind, smoke and very dry rooms
• See an eye doctor if the condition persists

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Potentially Blinding Diseases

• Very seriousrequires medical care
• AMD
• Glaucoma
• Diabetic retinopathy

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Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

• Leading cause of blindness and irreversible
  vision loss in seniors
• Gradually destroys central retina (macula) needed
  for sharp vision
• Three times more common in smokers
• Late stage has two forms dry and wet
• Wet form caused by leaky blood vessels behind
  retina

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AMD Symptoms

• Experience no pain
• Blurred central vision, even with glasses
• Later symptom includes dark or empty area in
  center of vision
• In wet form, straight lines appear curved

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AMD What to do

• Dont smoke
• To monitor deposits behind retina, get a
  comprehensive eye exam, with dilated pupils, at
  least every 2 years
• New treatment for wet form can stop and sometimes
  reverse disease
• This involves injections into eye to stop growth
  of new vessels

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Glaucoma

• Called silent thief of sight (no symptoms until
  permanent damage done)
• Gradually destroys optic nerve
• Peripheral (side) vision lost first
• Essential for seniors to have comprehensive eye
  exam at least every 1-2 years

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Glaucoma What to do

• Get periodic eye exam, with dilated pupils
  (drops) at least every 1-2 years
• This detects glaucoma before any damage sets in
• Prescription eye drops usually halt disease
• May require trial of different types of drops
• If necessary, a simple surgery can increase fluid
  flow out of eye

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Diabetic Retinopathy

• Serious complication of diabetes
• Technically not age-related
• Increases with duration of diabetes, hence, with
  age
• Leaky blood vessels inside retina
• Distorted and lost vision near leaks

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Diabetic Retinopathy What to do

• Best to prevent diabetes in the first place
• Diabetes is related to obesity, so maintain a
  healthy weight
• If you have diabetes, be under the care of an eye
  doctor (visit at least once a year)
• If retinal hemorrhage occurs, get laser treatment
  quicklythis usually saves sight

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Low-vision Aids

• If you have lost considerable vision from eye
  disease, dont lose hope
• Low vision is 20/200 (with glasses) or worse,
  but it is not blindness
• Go to an optometrist who specializes in
  low-vision aids
• Low-vision aids can help you resume normal
  activities

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Types of Low-vision Aids

• Can be as simple as
• Magnifying glass
• Large-print books and clocks
• Electronic magnifiers for books and TV
• Special eyeglasses to allow driving

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Why should I see an eye doctor?

• Diagnose glaucoma before there is irreversible
  vision loss
• Make sure eyeglasses are correct
• Treat cataracts, AMD and diabetic retinopathy in
  a timely manner

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When should I see an ophthalmologist
oroptometrist?

• All seniors, at least every 1- 2 years
• More often if you have
• An eye disease
• Family history of serious eye disease
• Diabetes
• An autoimmune disease (like Sjögrens or MS) that
  can affect the eye
• A sudden change in vision

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What you can do to keep clear vision for life

• Make sure your home is well lit
• Keep your eyeglasses up-to-date
• See an eye doctor regularly
• If you smoke, try to stop
• Maintain a healthy weight

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Be eye smart!

• Its largely up to you
• to maintain your eye health be proactive!

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To learn more, visit

• www.lcif.org
• www.womenseyehealth.org
• www.Schepens.harvard.edu
• www.healthyvision2010.org
• www.nei.nih.gov/health

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Presented byLions Clubs International
Foundationworking in partnership withWomens
Eye Health.orgto prevent blindness

• Funded through a Lions Clubs International
  Foundation SightFirst grant.
• For more information please visit
• www.lcif.org and www.womenseyehealth.org.