Your baby blues, greens, browns, or hazels are the most important part of your body when it comes to living in an uninhibited fashion. Our good eyesight is something that we take for granted, until they begin to fail, that is. If you are one of the lucky majorities who were born with perfect vision, you cannot really sympathize with those with less than untrammeled vision until something happens to change drastically your point of view. Diseases of the eyes used to be fairly untreatable with the exception of glasses to try to correct the problem. Advances in medicine have changed this now, as more diseases are treatable and some, completely curable. The top three vision problems we face today are:

1. Macular degeneration (age related)
2. Glaucoma
3. Cataracts.

Macular Degeneration

If you are within 50 to 70 years of age and you are experiencing a sudden onset of blurred vision, small blind spots in your vision, or image distortion including straight or wavy lines running through what you see, you may be experiencing macular degeneration (MD). MD is the leading cause of blindness in the elderly. The macular tissue is located in the center of the retina. As this tissue weakens, the symptoms begin although there have been instances of instant blindness associated with this terrible disease. New techniques in surgery and restorative medications may slow macular degeneration but will not cure it.

Glaucoma

Do you see bright halos around lights such as the streetlights in your neighborhood? If so, consult your eye doctor quickly. If you can diagnose Glaucoma before nerve damage occurs, it is highly treatable. Glaucoma is the number one cause of blindness at any age. It occurs when the eyeballs internal pressure constricts the nerve pathways that travel from the eye to the brain. Once damage occurs, treatment is often ineffective. The symptoms of halo images surrounding lights, blurred vision, disturbances in vision and loss of vision are coupled with eye pain that can be moderate to severe. Surgery and medication are effective if caught in time.

Cataracts

One of the surgically treatable eye diseases is cataracts. This disease can be genetic, or can be caused by damage to the lens of the eye, or radiation exposure. Those also at risk are heavy smokers, those with a prolonged history of steroid use, and diabetics. The lens of the eye is made from proteins and water. When those proteins break down and reform incorrectly, cataracts are formed. They may grow in size over time if not treated. These unsightly gray-blue clouds are also associated with aging and can be treated with medicinal eye drops, eyeglasses, and magnifying glasses as well as surgery. Usually, it is a combination of several of these treatments.

Take Care Of Your Eyesight

If you want to take care of your eye health as a preventative measure against these diseases and others, stop smoking, eat eye healthy foods like carrots, and have your eyes checked regularly by a good eye doctor. This is especially important as we grow older and become more susceptible to eye disease.

Author Bio: For more information please visit our Online HIPAA Training website.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: medication,Surgery,Eyesight,Cataracts,Glaucoma ,Blindness,Online HIPAA Training