Eye Health Update

Article submitted by Wade Faulkner, MD, Paul Taupeka, MD, and Alan Franklin, MD, PhD with VisionAmerica of Mobile. For more information call 251.471.3309 or visit www.GoToVisionAmerica.com.

As patients mature, they face eye conditions that previously had not affected them like cataract, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and ptosis (droopy eyelids). Luckily, today's patients have access to health care advances that past generations did not.

Cataract is a condition that occurs when the eye's natural lens becomes cloudy and commonly occurs as part of aging. Cataract is successfully treated by gently removing the natural lens and implanting an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) in its place. Traditionally, the IOL was a single-focus lens that provided good distance vision but required glasses for near vision. Now, new options in IOL technology allow patients to have more natural vision than the old-style single-focus lens. The Medicare approved ReStor lens provides good distance vision while also preserving near vision - an advancement that is welcomed by patients who do not want the inconvenience of glasses.

AMD is a condition that results in the decrease or loss of central vision. It occurs in two forms, dry and wet, and is the leading cause of legal blindness and vision impairment in patients over 50. Certain medications and laser treatments are available to control wet AMD. Also, some vitamins and minerals have been shown to slow the progression of AMD.

Many patients develop ptosis as they mature. Eyelid surgery or blepharoplasty is a procedure that may not only be necessary but also helps patients look as young as they feel. This procedure removes excess skin, fat, and muscle on the eyelid to give them more youthful appearance. This treatment becomes necessary when the excess skin droops and affects the patient's range of vision. In some instances, insurance will provide reimbursement for this treatment.

Your eye doctor can counsel you on the treatments available to treat cataract, AMD, and ptosis.