Old Man’s Eyes

Old man’s eyes are not blurry but see the whole truth. The beauty of aging is it comes unexpected but rejoices the mind with old beautiful memories. Old people are not the only ones to associate old memories with present truth and blurry vision. Recent research findings revealed the association of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataract, and diabetes-related eye disease -but not glaucoma- to the increased risk of dementia. The risk of dementia is even higher for individuals with both ophthalmic and systemic conditions than for those with an ophthalmic or systemic condition only. A previous study revealed that eye care professionals employing Optical coherence tomography (OCT)  can detect very early functional and morphologic changes in the retina of carriers of familial Alzheimer’s disease. This study suggests that OCT and retinal vascular parameters help in diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease prior to the onset of cognitive decline.

A regular visit to the eye doctor can help detect potential dementia and Alzheimer’s disease and for the old man, it will help the beauty of the past to rejoice in his mind. But we all know that that’s not all since we all know this old man; because there are millions like him and we can make him change his mind by offering him not necessary more but less. A comprehensive eye exam for aging people helps detect common age-related eye problems including presbyopia, glaucoma, dry eyes, age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, etc. We simply want to make him come to the annual appointment and we are ready to follow up with him. We know he sees the whole truth but we want to make him see 20/20 for years to come. We want him to be able to use his smartphone, capture beautiful photos, send text messages, and make new memories. We want to wish him a happy and “healthy aging month”.

“One in six Americans age 65 and older have a vision impairment that cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses. The risk of eye disease increases with age, yet many older adults neglect to see an ophthalmologist for care. To bring attention to taking care of our eyes as we age, the American Academy of Ophthalmology celebrates Healthy Aging Month to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of vision loss – and steps to help seniors take care of their sight.” American Academy of Ophthalmology