Health illnesses affect both young and old; however, there are some diseases that are more common and affect the majority in the society than others, among them include the cardiovascular diseases and obesity. Besides that there is the vision loss which is also a major health issue among the elderly people in the USA. It is estimated that those aged 65 years and above, one out of three aging people have an eye problem. The sight problem is associated with long working hours while using computers or reading too much. On the other hand, it's due to one’s genetic composition which makes them at risk of having eye defections. Consequently, most of the people are ignorant of eye conditions thereby developing the disease by surprise and treatment becomes unresponsive because the damages may already be severe. The essay shall look at the population’s health issue and the impacts of the Affordable care Act.
Today, over 6.5 million Americans aged 65 years and above suffer from a severe visual impairment. Researchers predict that the number will be double by the year 2030. Eye specialists state that the risk of one having eye problems increases significantly with age (Nassiri,et.al,2013).The National Eye Institute has identified eye related diseases (ERDs) namely cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, age-related degeneration (AMD) and dry eyes. Individuals who develop sight loss from ERDs mostly end up having low vision.
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Diabetes retinopathy occurs to people with diabetes resulting in dotted images. Likewise, AMD affects the central part of the eyes. More so, cataracts lead to overall blurring, sensitivity to light, clouding of pictures and a decreased contract of the eyes .so, it makes such activities like reading, watching TV, or driving.
Damages characterize glaucoma to the optic nerve hence causes an individual to lose sight at the sides. The symptoms are not easily identified as the condition is painless. With time, it can take away the peripheral vision (Nassiri, et.al, 2013). Additionally, retinal detachment develops due to the trauma of the head or eye, inflammatory eye disorders, and diabetes condition. If not diagnosed or treated early, it can lead to complete blindness. Lastly, the old tend to suffer from dry eyes a situation which makes one produce little or no tears which prevents the eyes to wash themselves resulting to seeing objects in an unclear manner.
AMD is the top cause of eyesight loss among older African Americans. As a result, they are twice likely to develop the condition as compared to the whites. Its, therefore, important for the people nearing old age to get comprehensive dilated eye examinations at regular intervals.
The aging people may become partly or entirely blind once they develop vision problems. Hence, it becomes difficult for them to continue with their normal lives because it affects their overall health and well-being in many ways. First, it hinders their ability to bathe, dress or walk around the house or outside. About 1.8 million elderly people in the US with the health condition have reported of experiencing these problems.
Further, it leads to high depression rates among the elderly because the abrupt changes force them to stop doing certain activities. For instance, 57.2% of the elderly who have vision impairment are at risk of mild or moderate depression compared to 43.5% of those who don’t have the illness. Similarly, they are at an increased danger of falls and fractures making them spend a lot of money and time in the hospitals or nursing homes, die prematurely or be physically challenged (Nassiri,et.al,2013).
There have been technological developments to treat the individuals with vision problems in recent years. For instance, patients having cataracts can undergo corrective surgery using the phacoemulsification technique which replaces the cataract with the intraocular lens. To improve eye care for the elderly, doctors recommend a healthy diet and nutrition as well as taking vitamins and eye health supplements.
Subsequently, there are no current treatments for ADM although drugs can be administered to reduce the level of progression. Also, technological devices like the implantable miniature telescope are being used to provide vision for one eye. In treating glaucoma, laser surgery can be done on the patient although applying eye drops to release the ocular pressure is the preferred treatment. Lastly, patients with diabetic retinopathy are advised to control their levels of blood pressure, sugar, and cholesterol (Nassiri, et.al, 2013).
The health care act has provided for many services and devices which help the senior citizens who have lost their vision live independently in their community. The Act provides for the provision of vision Rehabilitation services help the people regain self-dependence .there are many options which are available to make the affected lead productive lives alongside being safe. For instance, individual devices have been recommended to benefit those with low vision problems.
The Spectacle-mounted magnifiers lenses enable one to read or write faster. On the other hand, the spectacle-mounted telescope allows the patients to see objects at longer distances, i.e., across the room or watching television (Reed-Jones, et, al, 2013). Similarly, the handheld magnifiers are convenient for short-term reading such as viewing labeled instruments. Additionally, there are other various products to assist people with vision disabilities such as the provision of large type books, magazines, and newspapers. They can still use the talking wrist watches and recorded books.
Vision disorders are felt by all, but it is more common to the aging persons. Unfortunately, the number of individuals with the condition is expected to rise. In future times. However innovations in low vision gadgets, technology and treatment have provided the people with second chances by enabling them to use the remaining vision and delaying the spread of the illnesses. It’s crucial for seniors to undergo early examinations to prevent them having low vision.
References
Reed-Jones, R. J., Solis, G. R., Lawson, K. A., Loya, A. M., Cude-Islas, D., & Berger, C. S. (2013). Vision and falls: a multidisciplinary review of the contributions of visual impairment to falls among older adults. Maturitas , 75 (1), 22-28.
Nassiri, N, Mehravaran, S, Nouri-Mahdavi, K, & Coleman, A. L, (2013). National eye institute visual function questionnaire: usefulness in Glaucoma. Optometry & Vision Science , 90 (8), 745-753.
