On the occasion of Grandmother's Day and Grandfather's Day - let's not forget the eyes!

Age-related eye diseases will be more common

As shown in the publication How Poles see - a policy brief - document compiled by Filip Raciborski, MD, and Anna Klak, MD, from the Faculty of Health Sciences at WUM, with the support of the national consultant for ophthalmology, Professor Marek Rękas, the epidemiological situation is changing and the number of people struggling with eye diseases, with a particular focus on retinal diseases, is increasing. Currently, one in four Poles is 60 years old, and in 2050 it will be one in three. Therefore, one of our society's more common eye disease problems will be age-related macular degeneration (AMD) - a chronic and progressive disease of the central part of the retina, developing most often in older people. In Poland, about 1.5 million people suffer from AMD, annually nAMD (exudative form of AMD) affects about 14 thousand people, the ill are approx. 140 thousand.

Retinal diseases - what symptoms to look out for

AMD causes a reduction in the central visual field, that is, the ability to see straight ahead and therefore perform typical daily activities such as reading or driving. In advanced stages, it leads to loss of central vision. - Do you happen to see blurred images, find it harder to read books or notice distortions in images? These could be the first signs that something wrong is happening with our eyesight. The most important thing is not to ignore the symptoms. Any visual disturbance requires consultation with an ophthalmologist," stresses Malgorzata Pacholec, president of Retina AMD Poland.

If you have noticed that someone around you often:

● says he can't read something because he forgot his glasses,

● is clumsy in carrying out daily activities, knocking down objects, spilling, scattering,

● constantly stumbling, not noticing obstacles,

● asks for the number of an oncoming bus,

● has not bowed to neighbors for some time,

● avoids going out at dusk and new places and says he prefers to stay at home?

This may indicate that he has serious vision problems and should definitely check his eyesight with an ophthalmologist.

Poles underestimate the first symptoms of eye diseases!

Awareness of eye diseases is very low. Poles often downplay the first symptoms of vision problems, with many patients only seeing an ophthalmologist when they notice a deterioration of vision. Unfortunately, many eye diseases are detected only at a late stage, which makes their treatment much more difficult. Most of us do not know that you can monitor the condition of your eyes yourself with the Amsler test - a simple and free way to detect early signs of retinal diseases. A gridded piece of paper with a point in the middle, allows you to check whether the vision in both eyes is equal and not distorted.

- We can print out the Amsler test ourselves and hang it in a prominent place. Let's perform it regularly, once a month, or preferably once a week, then we will easily notice vision problems, which in the next step should be consulted with a specialist. A visit to an ophthalmologist will rule out or confirm the disease, which will allow us to implement treatment at an early stage and preserve good vision for years to come ," encourages Malgorzata Pacholec.

Quality treatment

Current treatments available in Poland for the exudative form of age-related macular degeneration - the more severe, more rapidly progressive form of AMD - allow patients to maintain good visual acuity. A prerequisite is prompt diagnosis and starting treatment when the effectiveness of therapy is highest. Current drugs allow for longer intervals between administrations, minimizing the number of necessary visits, with 3-4 administrations per year being sufficient for some patients in the second year of treatment. This is a great convenience for both patients and caregivers accompanying them during visits.

Gift for Grandma and Grandpa's Day - visit to the ophthalmologist

Taking care of seniors' eye health is important not only for them, but also for those who love them the most. Reading together with grandchildren, reminiscing about old times while looking at family photos - these are moments that require good eyesight. That's why it's so important not to wait until vision problems arise, make sure to enjoy every glimpse of the world - in full focus and color.

On the occasion of your Holiday, we would like to thank all Grandmothers and Grandfathers for the love given to their children and grandchildren, for their care, concern and time. We want you to be able to enjoy watching your loved ones grow up and develop for as long as possible. Therefore, we want to remind you that good vision is not given to us once and for all, but with prevention and regular check-ups with an eye doctor, possible changes can be detected early, allowing us to implement appropriate treatment and enjoy good vision for as long as possible.

Source: Press Mat.