Vision

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

There are two types of macular degeneration: wet AMD and dry AMD.

Symptoms of wet AMD: Straight lines appear wavy. If you notice this symptom, contact your eye doctor as soon a possible.

Symptoms of dry AMD: Symptoms usually occur in three stages. In early stages, small Drusen (yellow deposits under the retina) begin to appear. At this stage, there are no other symptoms and no vision loss.

As dry AMD progresses, more or larger Drusen may appear. In advanced dryAMD there will be a blurred spot in the center of vision and suffererers may have trouble reading—or need more light to read. People with advanced dry AMD may have difficulty recognizing faces until they are close up. Vision loss from dry AMD often affects one eye only which enables suffererers to read, drive, and go about their lives with no real changes in overall vision.

Cataracts

Cataracts may not cause pain, redness, or tears. The following problems may indicate a cataract:

• Blurred vision, double vision, ghost images, or the sense of a "film" over your eyes
• Lights seem too dim for reading or close-up work, or you are "dazzled" by strong light.
• You change eyeglass prescriptions often and the change does not seem to help your vision.
• You see a cataract in your eye. It may look like a milky or yellowish spot in your pupil.

Glaucoma

Different people experience glaucoma differently. Usually, glaucoma affects side vision (peripheral vision) first. Late in the disease, glaucoma may cause ‘tunnel vision.’ In this condition, the person can only see straight ahead. That's why someone with glaucoma can have good straight-ahead (central) vision. However, even central vision can be seriously damaged.

Other symptoms for specific types of glaucoma include:

• Chronic (Open Angle) Glaucoma
  With this type of glaucoma, the pressure of fluid in the eyes builds up gradually. At some point, side vision (peripheral vision)is lost and without treatment, total blindness can occur. Regular eye exams can help catch the disease at an early stage and prevent further damage.
  
• Normal Tension Glaucoma
  Symptoms are similar to open-angle glaucoma.
  
• Acute (Angle Closure) Glaucoma
  Symptoms may include severe pain, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, and seeing a rainbow halo around lights. This form of glaucoma is a medical emergency and must be treated immediately or blindness could result in one or two days.
  
• Secondary Glaucoma
  Symptoms may produce pain, blurry vision, or halos around lights if it occurs suddenly.

Hearing Loss

Sometimes hearing loss is not accompanied by any real symptomsother than ringing in the ear. It can “sneak” up on people as they age, and, in fact, hearing loss is often a gradual decline over 30 years or more. By the time we are aged 50 or more, the loss may be enough to interfere with conversation. Age-related hearing loss is known as presbycusis, and is most likely to occur after the age of 60. This type of hearing loss makes it more difficult to hear high-pitched tones (women's voices, violins).  

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