Eye exams are extremely important as people age to prevent blindness from cataracts, glaucoma, retinopathy and macular degeneration, and to reduce eye strain with the proper spectacle correction.
This is a topic that is important to New York City eye specialist, Ivy League trained, board certified, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology Dr. Daniel Laroche, MD.
Laroche aims to help people understand and prevent the dangers of serious eye conditions that can surface after age 40.For this he has chosen a popular medium – song.
As well as being a medical professional, Dr. Laroche is multi-talented and he has written a song featuring the voices of two of his patients to increase glaucoma and cataract awareness called “Eye Pressure.”
The song is available in both an English version and Creole version. Both of these versions open in YouTube.
The main concern is with those who have never had trouble with their vision. It is established that around age 40 all individuals should schedule regular eyecare appointments. This is especially as they may be experiencing vision impairment of a type that they are not even aware of.
The most common vision impairment as people age is presbyopia, which is the need for reading glasses. However, far more serious conditions like glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration and retinopathy can begin to surface between the ages of 40 and 70.
The most common condition is glaucoma. This is an eye condition where the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain, becomes damaged. It is usually caused by fluid building up in the front part of the eye
Glaucoma is a disease of the eye characterized by three components:
1. Damage and loss of the retinal ganglions cells and optic nerve described as cupping.
2. Loss of visual field.
3. Usually increased eye pressure (the mean normal eye pressure is 15mmHG; the mean intraocular pressure in patients with untreated glaucoma is 18mmHG.).
With glaucoma many people do not realize it’s happening until they have lost a substantial amount of peripheral vision.
Laroche tells Digital Journal: “Over time, these diseases can lead to blindness, so it’s best to address them as soon as possible. We have new treatments with earlier surgical options that can help preserve (or restore) their vision with faster recovery times.”
