Glaucoma is a name given to a group of eye diseases where vision loss is due to the damage of the optic nerve. This can be linked to the build-up of intraocular pressure in the eye. The increased pressure in the eye damages the optic nerve and can gradually worsen.

In this Blindness Awareness Month, Jacqueline Gattegno, a Smart Vision Optometrist at Eyes InDesign Bondi, offers insight into the detection of glaucoma.

Glaucoma is often called “the sneak thief of sight” because the loss of vision may occur before an individual is aware of it. Signs of glaucoma often go unnoticed because there may be no visible or noticeable symptoms. For instance, the loss of vision in the periphery is a common sign of glaucoma, but it often goes unnoticed.

It is important to detect signs of glaucoma as soon as possible as this condition is a common cause of blindness. Regular eye examinations are advised to “diagnose and treat early signs of glaucoma,” says Jacquie.

Jacquie stipulates common signs of glaucoma to look out for which include, “seeing halos around lights, vision loss, redness around the eye, hazy eyes or eye pain”. If individuals are aware of these signs, it may help eye doctors treat the eye before getting worse and prevent rapid vision loss.

While anyone is at risk of developing glaucoma, some people are at a higher risk. Numerous cases of glaucoma are over the age of 40, however, signs of glaucoma can be visible at any age.

People are more likely to have glaucoma if they have “a history of glaucoma in the family, poor vision/myopia, diabetic, high eye pressure or have an injury to the eye,” says Jacquie.

Glaucoma is hereditary, therefore individuals are more susceptible to developing glaucoma if this condition is prevalent among blood relatives.

Individuals with high myopia (nearsighted or shortsighted) are at a higher risk of primary open-angle glaucoma,” says Jacquie.

Traumatic eye injury or operation can lead to glaucoma. “Eye pressure may rise immediately or gradually upon injury,” says Jacquie, and requires constant regulation and monitoring from eye specialists.

Symptoms unrelated to vision should also be adhered to. Studies have shown that people with diabetes have an increased risk and development of glaucoma. “High blood sugar can cause the lens to swell and can cause blurry vision,” says Jacquie. High or low blood pressure, can also increase the risk of glaucoma as it “affects the blood flow to the optic nerve,” says Jacquie.

Glaucoma treatment

Smart Vision Optometrists have a holistic approach to eye care and therefore invasive surgery, which is a permanent disfigurement, is not considered a viable option and would only be suggested in extreme cases as an absolute last resort,” Jacquie said.

Although glaucoma is a permanent condition, there are other ways to keep your eyes healthy. “Regular exercise may lower the pressure of the eye and keep the blood flowing to the nerve,” says Jacquie, “eating foods that are high in antioxidants also help to keep your eye condition healthy”.

Smart Vision Optometry clinics are located in Sydney. Book a Smart Vision Comprehensive Vision Skills Assessment or Advanced Eye Health Test for any child or adult by calling the Bondi clinic (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic (02) 9969 1600, alternatively book an appointment online.

That’s because eyes change over time, and just as their joints might be feeling a bit more creaky than they did when they were in their twenties, their eyes aren’t as flexible or as strong as they were before. Here’s what they can expect from their eyes after 40 and what they can do about it. 

1. “Long Arms” for Reading

The lens of the eye flexes to allow for the switch between near and far vision. Over time, it loses its flexibility, and even those who never needed glasses before may find that they need specs for reading. “It’s one of those things,” says Australian behavioural optometrist Jacqueline Gattegno, proprietor of Eyes in Design Bondi. “If you haven’t been going for regular eye tests before the age of 40, you should certainly begin to do so.”

2. Dry Eyes

Every time someone blinks, their eyes are lubricated with tear fluid. There are a lot of different reasons for dry eyes including long hours spent in front of the computer, dry air, and ageing eyes. One can experience dry eyes at any time of life, but once someone is over the age of 35, the chances increase. Women who are experiencing menopause or are past menopause are more likely to get dry eyes than men are, but that doesn’t leave men with one less thing to worry about. They can get dry eyes too. 

Although dry eyes are uncomfortable, they aren’t ordinarily a direct threat to a person’s vision. Nevertheless, one should let an optometrist take a look and see what’s causing the problem. “Special drops can relieve dry eyes,” says Jacqueline. “You can also try helping your eyes by taking fish oil capsules and drinking lots of water.”

3. Reduced Night Vision

In time, the photoreceptors in the eyes begin to age and that means that seeing in poor light becomes more difficult. “An optometrist can’t improve your night vision per se,” says Jaqueline, “but making sure that your eyewear prescription is correct will help to some degree.”

4. Glaucoma

There was a time when having glaucoma meant that the person would experience vision loss – sometimes even total vision loss. Glaucoma is a build-up of pressure inside the eye and it can damage the optic nerve. However, if glaucoma is diagnosed early, it is treatable: one more reason to go for those eye examinations. The older a person is, the more important this becomes. Glaucoma is still a leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 60. 

5. Cataracts

Cataracts form when the proteins in the eye’s lens clump together, clouding the lens and blurring vision. Someone might notice them because they’re seeing halo effects when they look at lights, because their night vision is becoming worse, or because they’re experiencing blurry vision. 

“If cataracts are so bad that stronger glasses can’t restore vision, laser surgery solves the problem,” says Jacqueline. “It’s not a major procedure, and the success rate is excellent. Surgery may sound worrying, but it doesn’t require a stay in hospital, and the chances are excellent that your vision will be better than ever before. It’s definitely not something to be scared of.”

6. Macular Degeneration

The macula is part of the eye, and it consists of light-sensing cells. If the macula begins to degenerate, vision becomes blurry. Left untreated, it is likely to end in loss of vision, but, says Jaqueline, treatments can slow the process, preventing severe vision loss. Macular degeneration affects in the region of 14 percent of people over the age of 80. “It’s not something that affects all people with ageing eyes,” says Jacqueline, “but it’s something to look out for since the damage isn’t reversible.”

Take-Home Message

Eye examinations become even more important once a person is over 40. There’s no need for people to be overly worried about any problems an optometrist may pick up – as long as they’re going for fairly regular check-ups. Some age-related eye problems may require treatment or surgery, but in general, the outlook is good as long as the diagnosis is early.

HEAR: Ultra106.5FM Interview with Jacqueline Gattegno – Changes in Eyesight Due to a Rise in Stress Levels

For more information on eye health, visual skills and therapy, or to book an appointment, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

She says that the prevention or management of these three best known and recognised eye diseases is of vital importance as all three, if not controlled, can slowly lead to blindness. And, according to studies investigating possible links between inactivity or sedentary lifestyles and eye diseases like glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration, even moderate exercise reduced the chances of getting glaucoma by 25%.  Routines involving exercise only every second day significantly lowered the chances of age-related macular degeneration.

But the positive effects of physical exercise on eye health do not stop there, it can also help lessen or remove the impact of general health issues on eye health.

Exercise Can Help More Than the Big Three

According to Gattegno, physical exercise, along with a healthy diet, can lower levels and improve management of many of the most serious general health issues which affect the eyes and vision severely and can also threaten sight over a period of time.

This includes controlling diabetes, which if left to run rampant can lead to retinal damage, and impact on sight by causing swelling in the macula which contains the vital photoreceptor cells that detect light. Diabetes can also lead to high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels; both of which can affect the small blood vessels in the eyes, and also damage the light-sensitive retina. 

Exercise Routine Can Be Gentle

She says that as the studies showed, even a gentle but regular stroll through the park can improve and maintain both general and eye health, especially in those with a sedentary lifestyle, and it’s not necessary to overdo it. Walking briskly for 30-minutes every second day can be sufficient. 

“The only catch is that this is not a quick fix which can be applied for a while and then stopped. To keep reaping the benefits it is vital to keep following the programme at least three times a week,” Gattegno says.

Stepping Up the Pace

Most cardiovascular exercises which get the heart pumping and pulse rising, whether carried out in the form of dancing, riding a bike, running or walking, are the most likely to bring about even better outcomes with regard to vision problems.

They increase the flow of blood to both the optic nerve and to the retina, reducing the effects of hypertension (high blood pressure) on the eyes, helping control macular degeneration, and reducing the high intraocular pressure which causes glaucoma, Gattegno says. 

At the same time, hormones and anti-oxidants produced by the body in response to the exercise can also help protect the retinal ganglion cells. The retinal ganglion cells process the sight data received from light rays which land in the eyes and dispatch it to the brain.

HEAR: Ultra106.5FM Interview with Gary Rodney – Covid and Myopia: What you need to know!

For more information on eye diseases, eye health and vision,  or to book an appointment, visit the Smart Vision website: Optometrists Sydney: Optometry Services For Children and Adults | Smart Vision; for specific information about Myopia treatment and prevention visit Myopia Prevention: Solutions, Control And Treatment In Sydney; and for detailed information about Myopia Treatment visit Orthokeratology In Sydney: The Non Surgical Alternative.

To book an appointment for a thorough eye check-up, click here or Call the Bondi clinic on (02) 9365 5047 or the Mosman clinic on (02) 9969 1600.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.