Good Diet, Regular Eye Exams Can Help You See Well into Future

By The News Tribune, Tacoma, Wash.

Jun. 5–Because both my mom and grandmother lost their eyesight due to compli­cations from diabetes, I am frightened at the thought of getting an eye disease. I exercise to keep my weight down and eat a healthy diet to avoid getting diabetes.

When a dear friend of mine age 69 was recently struck with a sudden case of macular degeneration, I was stunned. Also, it’s troubling to see more and more of my older friends getting cataract surgery.

I wondered, what can older people can do to avoid eye disease?

People ages 60 and older should have an eye exam every year, says Dr. Aaron Weingeist, a Seattle ophthalmologist. People ages 40 to 60 should have eye exams every one to two years, says Barry Huse, O.D., a Tacoma optometrist.

Regular eye exams can detect the early stages of the three causes of vision loss:

— Macular degeneration — deterioration of the macula, the center of the retina that produces fine, central vision. The retina is a thin tissue at the back of the eye that captures and registers vision.

— Cataracts — clouding of the eye lens.

— Glaucoma — eye pressure too high for the optic nerve to function properly.

With macular degeneration, changes in the pigment layer can be seen in an eye exam, says Weingeist. Although no symptoms may occur, early symptoms can include blurry vision and letters that look “moth-eaten.” Later symptoms are distorted vision when viewing straight lines such as door jambs and telephone poles.

In dry macular degeneration, slow, gradual changes occur to the central retina area. In wet macular degeneration, abnormal blood vessels grow and leak fluid beneath the weakened macula.

Although there is no real treatment for dry macular degeneration, says Weingeist, supplements with antioxidants and zinc can reduce the risk of severe vision loss. Laser surgery is used to stabilize wet macular degeneration by sealing leaking blood vessels, he said.

Experimental treatments include shots in the eyes to stop the disease’s progression, Weingeist says.

One of the keys in macular degeneration is getting evaluated promptly, Weingeist says, adding that it’s an inherited eye disease. Additional risk factors include increasing age, heart disease, a high-fat diet and smoking, Huse says.

Cataracts are the most common form of reversible vision loss, Weingeist says. Cataracts occur in the lens that focuses light onto the retina.

The fluid in the lens becomes milky, resulting in the loss of the ability to see clearly. Treatment is outpatient surgery to replace the cloudy fluid with a clear plastic lens inside the eye.

Cataracts are caused primarily by the aging process, says Weingeist. To delay the progression of cataracts, take vitamin C, quit smoking and protect your eyes from ultraviolet rays from the sun by wearing a hat outdoors and UV protective sunglasses. Some medications, such as prednisone, can contribute to early cataract formation, as can injury to the eyes.

In glaucoma, no symptoms occur until there is severe vision loss, Weingeist says. An inherited eye disease, glaucoma is more common in blacks.

Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is beneficial for a healthy retina, Huse says, as is lutein, found naturally in spinach and kale and available in supplements.

For information, see www.eyenet.org and www.eyes.org.

Rita R. Robison, consumer specialist, writes about consumer affairs. You can writer to her at ritarr@aol.com or The News Tribune, PO Box 11000, Tacoma, WA 98411-0008.

—–

Copyright (c) 2006, The News Tribune, Tacoma, Wash.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.