Eyes undergo significant changes throughout life – changes that are related to genetics, visual activity, and the environment.
Among the most noticeable changes that occur after age 40 are:
- Presbyopia, or difficulty in reading, needs to be corrected with appropriate eyeglasses. It stabilizes at around 60 to 65 years of age.
- Eyelids can lose their natural elasticity to the point that it’s sometimes necessary to resort to plastic surgery to correct their functionality.
- The volume and quality of tears may decrease. This can be compensated for with a tear-substitute product.
- There is a risk of developing glaucoma of either of the two types. Depending on the type of glaucoma and the progression of the disease, it can be treated by medication, with lasers, or through surgery.
- Cataracts, or clouding of the eye’s lens, is a common occurrence. Vision is restored through an operation in which the opaque natural lens is removed and replaced by an artificial intraocular lens.
- “Floaters” occur when the collagen in the vitreous liquid within the eye undergoes changes. Generally they don’t require treatment, but there are some cases that can cause problems which require immediate attention.
- Alterations of the blood vessels in the retina can result in signs of atrophy and abnormal pigmentation.
- There is a risk of developing age-related maculopathy, also known as age-related macular degeneration, which interferes with reading. Treatment is difficult, but for some cases there are drugs or laser treatments which can be effective.
Remember that there are treatments and procedures that can help preserve the wonderful gift of sight, so it’s advisable to have your eyes examined by a physician on a regular basis or if there are any symptoms.
Visión Integral is a private ophthalmological clinic in Guatemala City. This team consists of nine specialists – graduates of the best universities in Guatemala, the United States, Colombia, and Canada – who have worked together since 1987 and who, above everything, value your overall health.
Contact:
www.visionintegral.com.gt
2205-0050
2a Avenida 9-03, Zona 9, Ciudad de Guatemala
