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Senior Wellness: Handling Glaucoma

Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in adults over 60.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — When it comes to our senses, most of us rely on all of them to make our lives easier. As we get older however, some of those resources start to change and one of the things that can really impact your day to day life is your sight. 

Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness for people over the age of 60. It is a condition where the optic nerve is damaged in the eye due to an increase in fluid in the front part of the eye, causing increased pressure. It can lead to partial or permanent loss of vision. 

Opthalmologists are able to treat Glaucoma with medications and surgery can slow the disease, but if there is no reversing any vision loss that occurs. They can also catch the first signs of Glaucoma

If you have suffered vision loss from Glaucoma Occupational therapists can help you modify your environment to make things easier. Glaucoma often causes problems with light sensitivity and not being able to discriminate between shades of color. To help, you can wear glasses with colored lenses and add contrast strips of tape to stair edges and on the shower or tub. You can also use sight aids like magnifiers or computer readers to make things easier. 

Reducing clutter and simplifying your environment can help too. If you know where something is without having to find it, you can find it even when your vision isn't the best. Good lighting can help you navigate your environment better as well. 

Porter Hills can help you determine if there are any services you can utilize to help make your day to life better. You can find out more about them on their website

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