Page 36 - Seniors Today - April Issue

the reading material makes reading easy. tears drain out into the nose). Constant
9. One habit that people develop is to try
and remove gastric acid in the morning by
pressing the tongue and trying to vomit
out the acid. This is not a good practice as
it builds up pressure in the head. Bleeding
can happen on the white of the eye, called
a subconjunctival hemorrhage with such
forceful actions.
Signs and symptoms that require a visit
to the eye doctor
1. Pink or black margin of the lower lid:
Sometimes the muscles of the eyelid tend
to get slightly weaker with age. The lower
lid tends to slightly evert out, and there’s
more of a pinkishness to the lower eyelid.
The eyelid margin can also start looking
like a black line when the lower eyelid
turns inwards instead. The eyelashes turn
inwards and rub against the surface of the
eye leading to repeated infections, irritation
and watering.
2. A watery eye happens fairly commonly.
When this continues the cause could be
a blocked nose or a blocked nasolacrimal
duct (a drainage tube from where the
Older people should use a separate pair of near spec- is usually a sign of a retinal problem that
tacles for near work more than 15 minutes, instead of
bifocal or progressive glasses
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watering and constantly dabbing the eyelid
skin causes discomfort and then needs
medication prescribed by an eye doctor.
3. A repeated white or yellow discharge
coming out could be a sign of infection. A
very mild discharge only in the morning
may be observed but anything that is
consistently there throughout the day must
be looked into by the doctor.
4. Blurring of vision can be from many
causes. It can be something as simple as
using a wrong pair of spectacles or using
the far component of a progressive pair of
spectacles for near work. Blurred vision can
otherwise happen from a host of issues so
it’s better to get an eye examination.
5. Sudden flashes of light in the periphery
of vision with or without tiny floating
particles in the vision (called floaters) is an
emergency. If it is something that has been
there from childhood or you just notice one
or two floaters moving around then one
needn’t worry. But if there are flashes on
the periphery or streaks of light, a sudden
shower of floaters or a curtain or shadow
blocking some part of the side vision, then
that would be an absolute emergency.
6. Only central hazy vision can happen
due to aging of the centre of the retina,
and is called macular degeneration. Any
central vision loss needs an immediate
consultation.
7. It is anyway prudent to visit an eye
doctor annually particularly if you have
a family history of glaucoma. Not only is
it a silent condition but it can irreversibly
decrease the peripheral vision and finally
the central vision.
8. Seeing curved or wavy edges of doors
and windows or any other straight object
needs immediate attention. Particularly