Time May Not Be on Your Side, But Your ilumin Team is!
No amount of money could convince you to go back in time. With maturity, you’ve developed your sense of style, gained wisdom, and learned to enjoy every day! But with the perks of perspective come a few drawbacks. For instance, your vision.
Time went marching on, right across your sight. From Blepharitis to Presbyopia, there are a few million-dollar words with significantly more affordable fixes for your priceless eyes!
Fear Less
We want you to see as much of the world as you can, and to do so clearly. But when your vision starts to blur, slip, or fade, it’s easy to let fear settle in. Knowledge is power, and you can rest easy in the knowledge that we’ve got your back!
Here is some information on some very common eye issues you may experience as time ticks on, and just what it means for your vision.
Presbyopia
Our first offender is the scary-sounding Presbyopia. While the name is intimidating, it’s actually a normal aging change in the eyes. Beginning around age 40, it becomes more difficult to see things close up, and reading fine print comes with the ubiquitous “hold it farther away, now closer, now farther” dance.
As it becomes more difficult to focus, Presbyopia presents its host with the need for bifocals, or reading glasses if distance glasses are not needed. If you insist that none of your friends or colleagues wear bifocals, it’s simply because they have become impossible to detect! From lineless glasses to contacts, you can counter the effects of age with a simple change in prescription.
Cataracts
Another common affliction, Cataracts happen to everyone in time. Except in very rare cases of early onset, cataracts are usually first detected during your eye exam in your 50s. Surgery is needed to remove the Cataract, but when this happens depends entirely on the severity and how much you feel it effects your day to day life.
Dry eyes
While this occurs at any age, dry eyes can hit harder a little later in life. While it affects both genders, women can blame hormones for being hit a little harder during pregnancy and menopause. While it’s tempting to grab a bottle of over-the-counter drops to ease the sting, it is important to be sure that they are the proper type of drops for the individual’s condition. Other prescription drops are sometimes needed. Making an appointment to determine you best treatment option (Restasis, topical corticosteroids, oral tetracycline and doxycycline, etc.) is a safer option. Some eye drops can interfere with other medications, and your health and safety are of the upmost importance to us!
Blepharitis
While Blepharitis sounds as intimidating as it is to spell, it’s often misdiagnosed as dry eye or conjunctivitis. It’s usually caused by a blocked oil gland and can be treated topically.
Glaucoma
A serious condition caused by damage to the optic nerve, Glaucoma is often (but not always) associated with high pressure in the eye. While it can appear at any age, it does so most frequently in middle age. Diagnosis is quick and painless, and treatment is crucial to preserving your eyesight. Damage due to glaucoma is irreversible, so early diagnosis is of utmost importance. Depending on the severity of the damage, treatment ranges from a prescription medication to a minor surgery to relieve the pressure.
Macular Degeneration
With more than 3 million cases diagnosed annually, Macular Degeneration is the most common cause of vision loss in older adults. It causes loss of the central part of your vision but typically spares the peripheral vision.
There are two classifications of Macular Degeneration, wet and dry. In many cases, using a vitamin supplement (known as the AREDS 2 formula) can help to slow the vision loss. Damage to dry MD can only be helped through the use of vision aids. Support is available to help through the transition, and ilumin would be happy to help you find the option that reduces the impact on your life as much as possible.
Wet MD is due to a buildup of fluid or blood in the macula and may require regular ocular injections, which are designed to prevent the disease from progressing.
Diabetes
Diabetes can cause many brutal symptoms and side effects throughout the body, and the result of losing control of your numbers for too long can become devastating. Diabetes-related vision issues can include Diabetic Retinopathy, Macular Edema, Vitreous Hemorrhage, Neovascular Glaucoma, and early onset Glaucoma. It is crucial for diabetics to schedule annual dilated eye exams to monitor and maintain eye health.
The first step is to talk with your care provider about lifestyle modifications to stop the progression of the disease.
The second step is treating the vision loss. From medications to prevent the growth of abnormal blood vessels, to injections to reduce macular edema, to surgery to correct the damage, there are options!
Lookin Sharp!
There are steps to take to keep you ageless, from skin treatments to hair color, workouts, nutrition, and surgery. We are passionate about ensuring that you can clearly see just how great you look!
Vision is precious. That’s why we have made it our life’s work to learn and develop treatments and solution to help you hold on to yours for life! Let ilumin keep you sharp. If you have concerns about your vision, or if you’re due for a regular checkup, give us a call! We can’t wait to see you, and we know you feel the same way!
*If vision loss is sudden, or if you black out, seek emergency treatment.
