Vision disturbances

Visual disturbances are of special value in older people because of their frequency, because of their importance for maintaining independence (they affect the performance of activities of daily living and are an important factor in the development of confusional syndrome) and because they are problems that are often overlooked. Loss of vision can be due in the elderly to numerous causes, these can be treatable or not.

In any case, the probability of accidents and falls increases and people who see poorly can have problems to function in normal life. Vision problems can also cause mental and behavioral disorders in older people. For all these reasons, it is essential that the elderly go to have their eyes checked with a certain frequency, because their future quality of life depends on it. In the absence of problems, it is not bad advice to have a revision a year.

The most frequent eye pathologies in the elderly are:

Presbyopia Presbyopia is the loss of accommodation of the lens that appears when it becomes rigid over the years, especially after 45 years, and becomes maximum around 65. The lens is a lens that exists inside of the eye, and its function is to focus the sight. For this reason, presbyopia, which is also known as "eyestrain," appears as difficulty in focusing on objects when looking from far to near. It is a universal change and is corrected with glasses that improve the focus of close objects.

waterfalls Cataracts are extremely common. The crystalline lens (the lens) becomes progressively opaque and leads to loss of vision. They appear in both eyes, but their progression can be at different speeds. They occur more frequently in women, although the exact reason is not known. They are also more frequent in diabetics, smokers and drinkers. The clinic, in addition to blurred vision, can be myopicization, distorted or yellowish vision or double images when looking with one eye; if the cataract is peripheral, the symptoms may be very mild. The only effective treatment is surgical intervention, in which the lens is replaced by an intraocular lens that supplies its functions. It is a simple operation, usually performed on an outpatient basis and with a very high success rate.

Macular degeneration At the back of the eye is the retina, which is the area that collects images and converts them into nerve impulses that the brain interprets. In the center of the retina there is an area called the macula, essential for vision because it is the place where the image is focused. In macular degeneration, this area is damaged (it is not yet clear why it happens). It is being diagnosed more and more frequently. The affected person begins to see the crooked lines and later loses vision of the central part of the visual field, which can advance until reaching blindness. There are several forms of varying severity, and the treatments are not yet very effective and most are in the experimentation and development phase. Control by an ophthalmologist is mandatory.

Glaucoma Glaucoma is the increased pressure of the fluid inside the eye. This increase in pressure can damage the optic nerve irreversibly, causing loss of vision from the periphery to the center (loss of the peripheral visual field). There are different forms of glaucoma; due to closure or blockage of the ocular fluid "drainage" channels (obstruction by detritus or by closure of the channel by the iris if it bulges) or by increased production. The problem with this disease is that many times it does not produce early symptoms, so it is often diagnosed late. Some forms can be acute, with symptoms of very intense pain, which constitutes an ophthalmological emergency. It is important to do regular ophthalmological check-ups for early diagnosis and treatment. Treatment with medications, in general eye drops, and with certain operations depending on the types, is generally very effective and stops vision loss.

Retinal alterations due to other diseases Disorders of the retina can occur due to general diseases, such as diabetes or hypertension. These diseases can damage the retina without initial symptoms, gradually losing vision. Diabetic retinopathy is considered to be the leading cause of blindness in adults in developed countries today. For these retinopathies not to progress to blindness, it is essential to maintain the best possible control of diabetes or hypertension. It is essential that hypertensive and diabetics have their eyesight checked at their ophthalmologist's office periodically. Other alterations may be central retinal artery embolism or retinal vein thrombosis; both problems cause serious vision loss, which is irreversible.