Causes of Loss of Vision By Peter Mangola Rn Bsn

 Causes of Loss of Vision By Peter Mangola Rn Bsn

Not all elders suffer from loss of vision. Some learn early in life of healthful ways to prevent them. Some are lucky enough to have caregivers who know the causes of vision loss and so were given proper senior care. Thus, the best way to combat loss of vision is to know the factors that can lead to it, and below are some of them:

1. Presbyopia: This refers to the difficulty related to concentrating on nearby objects. This is a problem that is often manifested during early to mid-40s.
2. Cataracts: A disease common among the elderly, cataract is characterized by cloudiness over the senior’s eye lens, resulting to inferior nighttime vision, sensitivity to glare and halos around lights. The daytime vision of a senior is eventually affected as well. All these happen because the lens which controls the amount of light that gets into our eyes is already clouded. This occurs when the protein in the eyes clump as a result of normal wear and tear, smoking, diabetes or eye injury.
3. Glaucoma: Studies show that seniors over 60 have a higher risk of developing glaucoma than younger people. Damage in the optic nerve is often a sign of Glaucoma. This is the nerve responsible for transmitting signals from our eyes to the brain for interpretation. Those with glaucoma might suffer from gradual loss of peripheral vision, nausea, vomiting, and eye pain. Glaucoma is one of the foremost causes of blindness. Those with glaucoma experience an intensified pressure in the eye, that lead to blind spots, a poor night vision, and loss of vision.
4. Diabetic Retinopathy: This is a complication of diabetes which can cause serious damage to the retina. Symptoms include seeing spots or blurry vision.
5. Macular degeneration: Those providing elderly care must know that this is one of the most common causes of sight loss in seniors who are over the age of 60. The macular tissue can be seen at the rear of the eyeball which is responsible for the central vision and in making our vision clear. Although it doesn’t usually lead to blindness, it can impair vision by making it cloudy, distorted or making colors appear faded. Factors that may contribute to this illness include high blood pressure, smoking and diabetes.

Medications

Before administering any medication to any senior, caregivers must read carefully its side effects. Beware of medications that can influence vision and this include antihistamines, digitalis derivatives, anticholinergics, some high blood pressure pills, indomethacin, phenothiazines, and many others. Seek a physician’s advice should you realize that a prescribed medicine to the elderly person under your care have adverse effects on his vision.