According to the National Eye Institute, the number of Americans with major eye diseases is increasing, and vision loss is becoming a major public health problem.
Blindness or low vision affects 3.3 million Americans over the age of 40, or 1 in 28. This figure is projected to reach 5.5 million by the year 2020. The study identifies age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, cataract and diabetic retinopathy as the most common eye diseases in Americans age 40 and over.
Worse yet, another study shows that most Americans don’t know the risks and warning signs of diseases that could cause blindness. In the "Survey of Public Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Related to Eye Health and Disease," sponsored by the National Eye Institute and the Lions Clubs International Foundation, 71 percent of respondents said that eye sight loss would have the greatest impact on their day-to-day lives, but only eight percent didn’t know that there were no early warning signs of glaucoma.
Below is information about the most common eye diseases:
Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness among white Americans age 40 and over, according to the National Eye Institute. Today, 1.8 million adults suffer from age-related macular degeneration; by 2020 that figure is expected to reach 2.9 million. According to the University of Virginia, age-related macular degeneration is the breaking down, or degeneration, of the macula – the part of the retina responsible for the sharp, central vision needed to read or drive.
A recent study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology reports that age-related macular degeneration doubles the risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke.
Some common symptoms are a gradual loss of ability to see objects clearly, distorted vision, a gradual loss of color vision and a dark or empty area appearing in the center of vision.
Glaucoma is a disease that impairs the optic nerve when fluid and pressure build up in the eye and damage the optic nerve. It affects more than 3 million people, according to The Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, but half do not realize it because there often are no warning signs.
Among Hispanics, glaucoma is the most common cause of blindness; glaucoma and cataract are the leading causes of blindness among African Americans, according to the National Eye Institute. In fact, glaucoma is almost three times as common in African Americans as in Caucasians.
There are various types of glaucoma:
A cataract is a cloudy area in the normally clear lens of the eye. Depending on its size and location it can interfere with normal vision. According to the National Eye Institute, cataract is the leading cause of low vision among all Americans, affecting more than 20 million people over the age of 40.
Cataracts generally form very slowly and develop in people over the age of 55. Infants and young children, however, can suffer from cataracts.
Most cataracts are due to age-related changes in the lens. Other factors include:
*American Optometric Association
Diabetic retinopathy is a condition that occurs in people with diabetes and is the result of damage to the tiny blood vessels that nourish the retina, the light sensitive lining at the back of the eye. This damage can cause vision loss.
It affects more than 4 million people over the age of 40, according to the National Eye Institute. One in every 12 people with diabetes age 40 and older has vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy.
According to the American Optometric Association risk factors for diabetic retinopathy include:
© 2009 Dr. Tavel