I always struggled with school work when I was younger. The words just seem to swim in front of my eyes, and I found it hard to concentrate on the page. It wasn't until much later that I realised that I was long-sighted. As soon as I got prescription glasses, I suddenly found it much easier to read and actually started to enjoy reading for relaxation. I wish I'd gotten glasses so much earlier. This blog is all about getting glasses for long-sighted kids and has some tips on knowing when a kid should be taken to the optometrist for an eye test.
There are certain eye conditions which people become more susceptible to as they get older; some examples of these conditions include cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). If your optometrist has diagnosed you with one of these conditions, here are some tips that you may want to bear in mind.
1. Take a break from driving
A lot of older people dread the prospect of having to one day give up driving. This can reduce their ability to remain independent and make it harder for them to do the things they want to do on any given day. However, whilst you might not love the idea of it, it is important to stop driving (for the time being) if your optometrist has diagnosed you with a serious eye condition and has recommended that you take a break from this activity whilst you undergo treatment.
The reason for this is that both of the aforementioned conditions can cause symptoms that can make it harder to drive safely. For instance, both AMD and cataracts can make colours appear much more faded than they really are; this symptom may make it difficult for you to notice when a set of traffic lights have turned red. This, in turn, could lead to you driving through a red light and subsequently causing a road accident.
Additionally, age-related macular degeneration can make the things that are within your central vision seem distorted; these visual distortions may make it hard for you to see pedestrians who are trying to cross the road in front of you. If your vision in one eye is cloudy as a result of a cataract, your overall depth perception may be affected and, as a result of this, you may not be able to accurately judge the distances between you and other road users. This, too, could lead to an accident.
Depending on what the condition is and what treatments are available, you may only have to take a temporary break from this activity, rather than having to give it up permanently. Your optometrist should be able to offer a more specific timeframe, based on their assessment of your condition and their treatment plan.
2. Don't postpone any referral appointments your optometrist arranges for you
If your optometrist diagnoses you with AMD, a cataract or another age-related eye condition, they will probably refer to you a medical professional who specialises in the treatment of that condition (like a cataract surgeon, for example). If they do this, it is absolutely essential not to postpone the appointment they make for you. The reason for this is that many of the most common age-related eye conditions tend to worsen over time if they are not treated.
For example, if you have a specific form of AMD, known as 'wet' macular degeneration, you will probably need to have eye injections to stop the condition from completely destroying the macular lining of your retina. Likewise, if you have a cataract and you delay the surgery that needs to be done to take out the clouded eye lens and replace it with a clear artificial one, you may eventually be unable to see anything out of the affected eye.
This deterioration of your eyesight could make your twilight years far less enjoyable, by making it difficult for you to live independently.
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