“Connecticut seniors aging eyes have better vision,” noted Ophthalmologist Leslie Doctor, M.D. of Doctor & Associates with Fairfield County offices in Norwalk, Westport & Wilton, Connecticut. According to the journal Ophthalmology-the official publication of the American Academy of Ophthalmology-there has been a significant decrease is vision loss in older Americans. “The prevalence of activity-limiting visual impairment is decreasing and has been decreasing-and this is really great news for seniors. While the study wasn’t terribly specific, I believe that better cataract surgery and lens implants, better diabetes treatment and control and a sharp decrease in smoking all play a role in why seniors now have better overall chances of preserving their eye health and vision,” Dr. Leslie Doctor stated.
Modern cataract surgery-with advanced technology lens implants has become routine and complications are pretty unusual. Years ago, people waited until a cataract was so bad that even a poor surgical result was better than living with a cataract. Today, when the presence of a cataract impairs either the quality of vision or the quality of life, the techniques and procedures allow for safe and effective cataract surgery to be performed.
- Today, only 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. smoke cigarettes as compared to 1 in 3 in the 1980s.
- Smoking is a major risk factor for macular degeneration, which is one of the most common vision impairing eye diseases in seniors.
- Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness and age and obesity are leading risk factors for diabetes.
- Even though diabetes rates in the U.S. continue to climb, better therapies are now available to prevent and treat diabetes-related eye health vision problems.
To some extent, seniors have helped preserve eye health and vision by taking the step of having regular eye exams which are quite important for everyone as they age, especially people with diabetes and other health conditions that can lead to vision loss. If you have any questions or concerns about cataracts, cataract surgery, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration please call Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County or facebook.com/doctorandassociates to schedule an appointment.
Doctor & Associates is a leading Fairfield County Connecticut eye care practice providing eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and management of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses and optical services. For those patients in need of eye surgery, as a founding member of the Wilton Surgery Center, Doctor & Associates eye surgeons are able to provide eye surgery in a convenient, close to home and cost effective ambulatory surgery center.
Whatever your eye care, eye health or vision correction needs might be-Doctor & Associates can serve as a Connecticut ophthalmic consultant and will be conveniently located for patients from Fairfield County and southern Connecticut including Danbury, Stamford, Greenwich, Westport, Weston, Wilton, New Canaan, Norwalk, Fairfield, Bridgeport, Cannondale, Aspetuck, Redding, Trumbull, Shelton, Monroe, Darien, Glenbrook and Ridgefield Connecticut.
