National Eye Institute urges older Americans to protect their vision

Older people are at increased risk of several eye diseases, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataracts, and glaucoma. AMD can cause profound loss of central vision due to the breakdown of the eye's light-sensing cells in the retina. Cataracts cloud vision through clumping of proteins in the eye's lens. Glaucoma damages the optic nerve often due to increased pressure in the eye. The increase in type 2 diabetes, which is more common in older Americans and especially minorities, means many more are at high risk for diabetic retinopathy, a disease that impairs vision due to diabetes-related injury to the eye's blood vessels.
Source: News from NEI - Category: Opthalmology Tags: News and Events Source Type: news