A review and outline of The Eye Digest
I received a request from Eye Digest to write up a review about their website and the information which they offer regarding various eye diseases due to aging. Having a grandmother who recently had LASIK surgery on her eyes to help improve her vision, I felt the topic was a personal one to me. I have no doubt that it’s also a very personal subject for others who may read this as the various forms of eye related diseases affect millions of people each year.
Aging Eye Diseases
First let’s look at some of the information about aging eye diseases. According to the Eye Digest website Cataracts affect 20.5 million Americans age 65 and older. Another 2.2 million have been affected by Glaucoma and it’s believed that at least another 2 million simply don’t know they have it yet. Two more forms of aging eye disease, Macular Degeneration and Diabetic Retinopathy affect nearly 7 million people combined.
What do all those terms mean?
I searched through a medical dictionary to find some defintions of each eye disease to help explain what they are and followed up those defintions with simpler explanations which can be found on The Aging Eye website.
- Cataract – An opacity of the crystalline lens of the eye or its capsule. What this means in simpler terms is that the lens of the eye is not as transparent as it should be, causing vision impairment.
- Glaucoma – A group of eye diseases characterized by an increase in intraocular pressure, causing pathological changes in the optic disk and typical visual field defects. In other words due to increased eye pressure there is a loss of peripheral vision. Ultimately Glaucoma can lead to blindnes.
- Macular Degeneration – Deterioration; change from a higher to a lower form, especially change of tissue to a lower or less functionally active form. In simpler terms what’s occuring is damage to the retina causing blurred or darkened vision.
The Eye Digest Site
Everything I’ve discussed to this point is information you will be able to quickly and easily find on The Eye Digest’s website. Not only is it an incredible resource for the various forms of eye diseases, but they break down and simplify terms for you making the information they provide much easier to understand without needing a degree in medicine. There’s plenty of visuals to also help illustrate the effects of each eye disease.
Beyond informing you about each type of disease the website also teaches you about the symptoms you can look for in determining whether you may be experiencing one of the various forms of aging eye disease. If you come to the conclusion that you may in fact be experiencing some of these symptoms, you can learn about what to expect should you make the decision to contact an eye doctor about having your eyes examined. Everything is very thorough and presented again in a very simple and easy to comprehend manner.
In Conclusion
It’s easy to state without hesitation that The Eye Digest provides an immense wealth of information. Everything you could ever hope to learn about the many forms of aging eye disease can be found. I could most certainly go on for several more paragraphs outlining much more of the useful information you will find, but ultimately the purpose of this review is to inform of you The Eye Digest and convince you to consider their website if you have even the slightest concern that you may be experiencing complication with your eyes. Hopefully I’ve done so as it goes without question that vision is one of our most important assets.
I’ll definitely check out the website.
Did I tell you that I have glaucoma? It’s typically known for being an aging eye disease, but it’s also hereditary and can strike at any age. I was diagnosed at age 26. I’ve been taking daily medications ever since, and I routinely see my opthalmologist at least every three months, and more often when there are problems. I have written several posts about my condition. If you’re interested in learning more about glaucoma, check them out.
It’s very important to have your eyes checked on a regular basis. Glaucoma typically has no symptoms until it’s too late.
Hi Tish,
Yes, Glaucoma can occur in younger individuals and sometimes occurs in newborns too. It is important to identify it early – and – you rightly said, there are usually no symptoms. In addition to the eye drops to control the pressure, several other measures also have been shown to be of value. For example, aerobic exercises help, so does reducing caffiene intake (decaff is OK) and not smoking helps. Some things are to be avoided – like head down yoga positions. Finally, one should be aware that some intraocular pressure-lowering medications, particularly beta-blockers (Timoptic), can side-effects to patients and result in or exacerbate such conditions as asthma, cardiovascular disturbances, depression, and sexual dysfunction.
Sandeep,
It’s really an excellent site and actually gave me a lot to think about and consider. I’m certainly not getting any younger and should probably be more concerned with the health of my eyes as well.