Medical Devices, Aging, and Your Eyes

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Is it more difficult to read the newspaper than just a few years ago? If it is, there are many people in the same situation. Aging brings changes to your eyesight. To protect your vision, there are some things that you can do. The most important thing to do is have regular eye exams in order to find problems early.

Steps to Protect Your Eyesight

Eye care professionals rely on medical devices to diagnose problems and to deliver medical care to their patients. Have your eyes checked every one or two years by an ophthalmologist or optometrist to test your vision and look for eye problems. Notify your eye care professional right away if you experience:

• Sudden decrease in vision
• Double vision
• Flashes of light
• Redness
• Eye pain
• Swelling of your eye or eyelid
• Constant tearing
• Shower of black spots 
• Blank area in vision

Have regular physical exams to check for diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure that can cause eye problems if not treated.

Always wear sunglasses that block ultraviolet (UV) radiation and a wide brim hat when outside. Did you know that reading glasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses are medical devices?

Eye Diseases and Disorders

The following eye problems can lead to vision loss and blindness. Often there are few or no symptoms. Having regular eye exams is the best way to protect your eyes. For all of the following problems, we recommend that you visit your eye care professional regularly to find problems early.

Glaucoma is a progressive disease of the optic nerve. Elevated intraocular pressure is one of several risk factors associated with glaucoma. Without treatment, glaucoma can lead to vision loss and blindness. Your eye care professional will use a medical device called a tonometer to measure your intraocular pressure. Most people with glaucoma have no early symptoms or pain from the extra pressure. Treatment may be prescription eye drops, medicines that you take by mouth, laser treatment, or surgery. Retinal disorders are a leading cause of blindness in the United States. The retina is a thin tissue that lines the back of the eye and sends light signals to the brain.

Retinal disorders that affect aging eyes include:

• age-related macular degeneration
• damage to blood vessels of retina (diabetic retinopathy) 
• separation of retina from membrane in back of eye (retinal detachment) 
• damage to blood vessels of the retina (hypertensive retinopathy ) 
• closure of the retinal blood vessels (retinal vascular occlusion)

Eye care professionals use a medical device called an ophthalmoscope to check the retina.

Macular degeneration, or age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is a leading cause of vision loss in Americans 60 and older. It is a disease that destroys your sharp, central vision. You need central vision to see objects clearly and to do tasks such as reading and driving. AMD is a painless disease that affects the macula, the part of the eye that allows you to see fine detail. In some cases, AMD advances so slowly that people notice little change in their vision. In others, the disease progresses faster and may lead to a loss of vision in both eyes. Regular comprehensive eye exams can detect macular degeneration before the disease causes vision loss. Treatment can slow vision loss, but it does not restore vision.

More Information from the FDA

The FDA website includes information about several different types of vision aids. Click on the links to learn about…

Contact Lenses. This web page includes general information on different types of contact lenses, things to consider when buying contact lenses, risks and everyday eye care tips.

LASIK. LASIK is a surgical procedure intended to reduce your dependency on glasses or contact lenses. This web page gives you information about what you should expect before, during, and after surgery, including a checklist to help you determine if you are a good candidate for the surgery, the risks and limitations of LASIK, how to find the right doctor, and surgical expectations.

Phakic. Phakic intraocular lenses are devices used to correct nearsightedness. These thin lenses are implanted permanently into the eye to help reduce the need for glasses or contact lenses. The website provides general information about phakic lenses, the surgery, risks, and questions for your doctor.

Reprinted from Maturity Health Matters: FDA Health News for Older Adults, Their Families and Caregivers.  This online newsletter is about FDA regulated products for older adults, their families and their caregivers. It focuses on FDA approved products that help people live longer, more productive lives. See Maturity Health Matters online on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website.