Senior Eye Care from Dr. Philip Dixon, O.D.
As people get older, they inevitably tangle with all manner of health challenges, from arthritis to high blood pressure. Age also affects the health and performance of your eyes. If you want to keep seeing as clearly as possible, take advantage of the high-quality Reedley senior eye care services available from Dr. Philip Dixon, O.D., from contact lenses to eye disease treatment.
The Challenges of Senior Eye Care
Some eye and vision problems that develop in younger individuals grow worse with age, while others may not even appear until a person’s senior years. In addition to having their corrective vision prescriptions updated as needed, seniors should also watch out for conditions such as:
- Cataracts - Cataracts are the result of an accumulation of proteins the eye’s lens that rob the lens of its transparency, replacing that transparency with a milky-white appearance. Although most cataracts advance extremely slowly, you may notice light sensitivity, blurred vision, reduced contrast, and other vision problems before major vision loss sets in.
- Glaucoma - Glaucoma can appear at any age, but the risk for it rises as you get older. In this condition, damage is caused to the optic nerve, typically as a result of increased eye pressure. Vision loss may be almost unnoticeably gradual or (in some cases) sudden and profound.
- Macular degeneration - Macular degeneration usually occurs only in middle-aged and elderly individuals. This problem damages a part of the retina called the macula, producing blank spots and other distortions in your central vision.
- Dry eye - Age-related dryness often includes dry eye. While this syndrome may not sound as alarming as others listed above, it can lead to corneal damage if left untreated.
Senior Eye Exam and Treatment Options
You should schedule a senior eye exam every year without fail. This allows our optometrist to identify age-related problems as soon as they appear. This provides a critical benefit, since diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration cause irreversible damage without prompt care. Fortunately, medication and lifestyle changes can often help you slow or arrest the progress of these disorders.
If you need new or upgraded glasses or contact lenses, we can fit you with the ideal type of eyewear for your needs and preferences. We can also refer you for eye surgery to remove and replace lenses damaged by cataracts. You might even consider LASIK surgery to permanently correct a refractive error, in which case we can handle your pre-operative and post-operative care for LASIK or another eye surgery.
Give Your Aging Eyes High-Quality Care
Your aging eyes still have a lot to offer as long as you treat them well. Call our Reedley optometrist at (559) 638-8288 for an appointment!