Aging is a part of life. Deteriorating vision is a common occurrence the longer one lives. Cataracts, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration are some of the conditions that can occur. If you suffer from any of these issues, or are looking for ways to take care of your vision and your eyes as you age, here are some important tips to follow.
Forgo Any Unnecessary Presurgery Tests
Cataracts are clouding of the lens of the eye and that impairs vision. It is correctable through a surgical procedure that replaces the damaged lens with an artificial one. It’s typically an outpatient surgery with a few pre-op requirements. One must be free of infection, have normal blood pressure and a normal heart rate. Depending on the doctor, blood tests and electrocardiograms may also be requested. Extra tests often come with expensive co-pays. Not only are these tests excessive, but they can also give you false reads that can delay your surgery. When scheduling cataract surgery, it’s a good idea to ask the doctor if there are any tests you can skip. This will save both time and money.
Premium Lenses May Not Be The Best
During cataract surgery, the doctor will replace your clouded lens with an artificial monofocal or multifocal lens. Monofocal lenses provide clear images at either near or far vision. Multifocal lenses will do both, and make it possible to stop wearing glasses. They are, however, really expensive. Multifolcal lenses typically cost up to $4,000 and are not usually covered by insurance.
The high price does not necessarily mean they are better. There are complaints about halo or glare effect with the multifocal lens. Research has also shown that people who opt for multifocal lenses may need repeated surgery. Unless you have astigmatism, opt for the monofocal lenses.
Get The Right Tests
When you suffer from glaucoma, the key is to treat it early to prevent permanent vision loss. Make sure that you are getting the right tests. Glaucoma can go unnoticed because it does not produce any obvious symptoms until it’s too late to treat. If you are between the ages of 40 and 60, get an examination by your ophthalmologist or optometrist every three to five years. After 60 the recommendation is to increase the frequency of eye exams to every one to two years. Early and consistent testing ensures that doctors will spot any potential issues early and in time for intervention and treatment.
Get More Than One
The only exception to the many tests rule is prevention screening for glaucoma. Most doctors only rely on screening for this disease with tonometry which measures your eye pressure. Research has shown that your exam should also include an ophthalmoscopy which examines your optic nerve. Leaning only on the tonometry test that measures your eyes’ intraocular pressure could result in missing up to half of all possible cases you could develop.
Treat Your Glaucoma with Generic Versions
Opting for the generic versions of most drugs are almost always the most cost-effective route to caring for your aging eyes. Patients that use generic brands, specifically to treat glaucoma, tend to do a better job of taking their eye drops on a schedule which is important to treat this disease. Remember, the higher the price point does not determine the effectiveness or quality of a product. The same thing goes with medications.
Be Open To Using More Than One Drug
It is not uncommon for people who suffer from glaucoma to use many different drugs to control it. In addition to their eye drops, they may need to add beta-blocker drops. If you fall into this category or think you might, ask your doctor about drug treatments that combine medications. You may be able to reduce the number of drops per day and save money.
The Right Eye Drop Technique Makes All The Difference
When giving yourself eye drop medications, make sure to tilt your head back and pull your lower lid down with your finger, forming a pocket. Next, hold the dropper tip as close to your eye as possible without touching it and squeeze one drop into the pocket. Once you do this, close your eyes for two to three minutes, tipping your head down and gently pressing on the inner corner of your eye. It is important not to blink. If you find that you need more than one drop per eye, wait at least five minutes between drops to let the previous drop absorb completely.
Include The Right Supplements In Your Eye Drops
Incorporating things like vitamins C and E, copper, lutein, zeaxanthin and zinc will cut your risk of macular degeneration by 25 percent according to research. Make sure that when shopping for the right eye supplements, those elements are included as well. If your eye doctor suggests to give you a genetic test in order to properly determine which supplement is best for your eyes. If you have macular degeneration, remember that it comes as dry AMP and wet AMP. Dry AMP is treated mainly with dietary supplements while wet AMP is treated with monthly injections.
Use Inexpensive Drugs Instead
There are three drugs that are used to treat wet AMP and those are aflibercept (Eylea), bevacizumab (Avastin) and ranibizumab (Lucentis). These drugs work well in slowing vision loss, but some are more expensive than others. If you are looking for something that is cost-effective but still gets the job done well, consider using Avastin as opposed to the other three.
One thing to keep in mind is that this drug is only officially approved as a cancer drug. In order for your doctor to get the drug in the appropriate doses for AMP, he or she would have to get it from a compounding pharmacy. If the pharmacy is not accredited by the Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board, you could run the risk of your medication being contaminated as these compounding pharmacies have to combine, alter or repackage ingredients found in your medication.
Age-related vision loss is something that cannot be avoided at times. When you are experiencing vision loss because of aging, you may think that it is too late to look after and improve your vision. As long as you follow the guidance of your doctor, and follow our suggestions, you will be good to go.
Maintaining good eye health, along with taking the appropriate preventative measures, is a sure-fire way to take care of your eyes as you age. Remember to eat your vegetables like carrots, kale, spinach, collard greens, liver, swiss chard, zucchini, Brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes and butter are all great resources for vitamin A and lutein. This vitamin and antioxidant are used to improve eyesight naturally. Give it a try! Find out more information about eye health here.
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It’s too late for me to prevent macular degeneration but I have treatments monthly from my doctor, who has used Avastin and Eylea. I’m thankful that a foundation is helping me with the costs, as I could never afford the expensive injections so necessary to preserve my vision. I also take PreserVision vitamins A and D, but I’m not sure how effective they are–can’t hurt, I guess. Love the veggies you listed as well.
I can still read, blog on the computer, and drive, and I take nothing for granted!
I do not have macular degeneration, but I feel my eyesight weakening and for writers and creative types it feels like a death sentence! It is wonderful that you are able to get good treatment, so many cannot. My niece, only in her early 50s will probably lose her eyesight by the time she is our age. My grandfather badger me as a child to make sure I had “enough light” when reading, etc. We often don’t learn the lessons we need to learn until we need them, and then it’s too late!