(PreserveMacForte.com) May has been designated Healthy Vision Month, and so the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS) is taking the time to promote the importance of eye exams, according to a recent press release.
ASRS is recommending that adults call their eye care provider to set up an eye exam to look for early signs of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or diabetic retinopathy, which happen to be the two primary causes of new cases of vision impairment and blindness among the adult population in the U.S.
According to the press release, about 15 million adults in the U.S. have some type of AMD — whether the dry form or the more serious wet form. The condition, which mostly only impacts the elderly segment of the population, starts off as dry AMD but progresses to wet AMD in more than 100,000 people who are 60 or older annually. Advanced-stage AMD can lead to blindness if it is not diagnosed and treated sooner rather than later.
According to the press release, diabetic retinopathy occurs in some people who have diabetes. The condition adversely impacts in excess of 4 million Americans and results in the majority of new blindness cases in adults aged between 20 and 74.
Both macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy can substantially damage the retina. There are certain symptoms that people need to be on their guard for when it comes to eye ailments like AMD and diabetic retinopathy. These include hazy vision, spotty or cloudy field of vision, trouble recognizing the faces of even family and friends, and vision loss. Any of these symptoms necessitate a trip to the doctor.
As is often the cases, eye diseases can go undetected for years, which underscores the importance of regular eye exams. Over the course of an eye exam, an eye doctor, otherwise known as an ophthalmologist, can detect early signs of eye disease well before actual vision loss has had time to set in. If caught in time, the ophthalmologist can refer the patient to see a retina specialist who can start a treatment program designed to at the very least delay the onset of vision loss.
Reference: http://www.heraldonline.com/2013/04/30/4819496/with-early-detection-and-proper.html