Four Common Eye Health Issues in Talladega

Cataracts

Symptoms: Gradual loss of ability to see detail, dimming of vision over time, a need for more light to see, and more problems with glare.

Recommended care: Yearly eye exams are recommended for everyone over the age of 50.

Therapy: Higher than normal dose of vitamin C may help to slow or even reverse some cataract formation. Cataract surgery is the only cure to cataracts.

Expected outcome: Excellent. Most cataract surgeries are complication free and vision is usually very good.

Glaucoma

Symptoms: No early symptoms most of the time. Glaucoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness in the U. S. because most people who have it don't know they have it.

Recommended care: Yearly eye exams are recommended for all those over the age of 50.

Therapy: Usually can be controlled with eye drops, but frequent follow-up visits are needed to monitor the effectiveness of therapy. Sometimes surgical therapies are needed to control pressure.

Expected outcome: If glaucoma is diagnosed early and treated aggressively, vision preservation is generally possible.

Macular degeneration

Symptoms: Blurred vision at all distances. Often times, lines look wavy. There is generally more difficulty with central vision while peripheral vision is preserved.

Recommended care: Yearly eye examinations are recommended, more often if risk factors exist.

Therapy: Nutritional therapy is the mainstay for dry macular degeneration. Omega three, B and C vitamins, Lutein and Zeaxanthin are important. Green leafy vegetables help prevent macular degeneration from getting worse. Wet macular degeneration requires more aggressive therapies.

Expected outcome: Outcomes are variable depending on how early the disease is detected, the overall health of the patient, whether the patient is a smoker, and how badly weakened the retina is.

Dry eyes or tear deficiency

Symptoms: Burning, stinging, watering eyes. Vision is often times intermittently blurred with reading usually being more difficult than other activities.

Recommended care: Yearly examinations are recommended, but often times, therapy for dry eye requires
1-2 month follow-up visits.

Therapy: Depends on the underlying cause. Sometimes over the counter drops help, but most often they are not enough. Nutritional therapies, Restasis, punctal plugs, steroids and/ or Doxycyline therapies are often needed.

Expected outcome: Over time, most dry eye sufferers can obtain some relief. However, therapy needs to continue to keep the underlying problem controlled.