Seniors and Glaucoma: Coping with the Eye Illness

Senior Care in Aurora

Living with glaucoma can be a difficult condition for older adults to live with. Everyone’s condition is different, but some may be completely blind as a result of the condition. Seniors who have lost their sight due to glaucoma will need a senior an elder care provider to do all of the tasks they are no longer able to do. The following information will help you better understand your loved one’s condition in order to assist in the caregiving responsibilities.

What is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that will cause the optic nerve to progressively become more damaged. This damage will end up killing the retinal ganglion cells that are used to send information to the brain from the retina. Glaucoma is characterized by an unusual pattern of vision loss.

Questions for the Doctor

If the elder, their senior care provider, or you suspect they have glaucoma, they should make an appointment with their eye doctor as soon as possible. During the appointment, here are some questions to ask the doctor.

• What glaucoma tests should be used?
• What can we expect from these tests?
• Do you have the necessary tools to administer these tests or will the senior need to go to a different facility?
• How often should the elder be tested for glaucoma?
• How long does it take to get results?

Diagnoses

When getting diagnosed with glaucoma, there are several things the doctor will want to take a look at. They include:

• Loss of functional vision: The doctor will check the elder’s eyes to see if there are any structural changes.
• Structural changes: They will check to see if the retinal nerve fiber layer is beginning to deteriorate.

Treatment

There is currently no cure for glaucoma, but there are ways the elder can lessen their symptoms. Some common medication options include:

• Beta blockers
• Alpha adrenergic agonists
• Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors

There are also rehabilitation services available for those who have low vision due to glaucoma. Unfortunately, there is no way to regain vision once it is gone, but these services will help older adults strengthen the vision they do have.

Prevention

No one knows for sure what will help prevent glaucoma from occurring, but studies have been conducted that could give us some insight. According to the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, rats that ate a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids had reduced intraocular pressure. While no study has been conducted on humans, they may be able to reduce their risk of developing glaucoma by consuming oily fish, like mackerel and salmon. They can also take a fish oil supplement to get the same benefits.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Senior Care in Aurora, contact the caring professionals at Staff Relief Health Care 24/7 at 905.709.1767.

Source:  http://www.visionaware.org/info/your-eye-condition/glaucoma/patients-guide-to-living-with-glaucoma/125