When your parents are old, don't wait until they can't see clearly before checking their fundus.

Parents, who have worked hard for most of their lives, are no longer as healthy as they were when they were young, and even their eyes are no exception. Many eye diseases will occur in the elderly at this time.

The fundus is an important part of the eye and is responsible for visual imaging. If there is a problem with the fundus, not only can it be difficult to see clearly, but in severe cases it can even lead to blindness. Next, Zhao Zhaoxia, deputy director of Zhengzhou Aier Eye Hospital and an eye fundus disease expert, will explain the fundus and common eye fundus diseases in the elderly.

What is fundus disease?

When talking about fundus diseases, we have to start with the eyeball: the eyeball is a spherical organ. The front part is what people can see, such as the cornea and lens in front of the eyeball, which we call the anterior segment, and the retina, choroid and other parts in the back are called the fundus.

The fundus includes the retina, optic nerve, macula, etc. Pathologies in these parts are called fundus diseases.

Common eye diseases in the elderly

👴 Age-related macular degeneration:

Age-related macular degeneration, also known as age-related macular degeneration, is an eye disease that is closely related to age. The older the age, the more people will suffer from this disease. The macula is an important area of ​​about 2mm in the center of the retina, which affects visual sensitivity. In real life, factors such as oxidation, chronic light damage, smoking, nutrition, inflammation, and genetics can easily induce age-related macular degeneration, which can cause damage to the tissues related to the macula, impaired function, and decreased vision.

👴 Diabetic retinopathy:

It is a serious complication of diabetes in the eye, which is very harmful to vision. High blood pressure and unstable blood sugar control can aggravate the progression of the disease. If not treated in time, it may cause blindness.

Diabetic retinopathy is related to the course of diabetes. Generally, the longer the course of diabetes, the higher the incidence of retinopathy. The incidence of retinopathy is 25% for patients with a course of less than five years, and as high as 75% for patients with a course of more than 15 years.

So far, laser is one of the main treatments for controlling diabetic retinopathy, with the aim of preventing serious complications and preserving a certain degree of visual acuity for patients. Diabetic patients should fully understand the harm of diabetes to vision, receive eye examinations early, follow up regularly, and receive early diagnosis and treatment.

👴 Retinal vein occlusion:

It is also a common eye disease among the elderly. Most patients experience blurred vision, dark shadows blocking their sight, and the disease often occurs suddenly. Retinal vein occlusion can be caused by a variety of factors, such as high blood pressure, high blood lipids, high blood viscosity, smoking, drinking, fatigue and anxiety.

Patients with "three highs" (high blood pressure, high blood lipids, and high blood viscosity) should go to the hospital for regular check-ups in time and use fundus angiography to determine whether laser treatment is needed to prevent the condition from worsening. If the disease develops into serious complications (vitreous hemorrhage, glaucoma, etc.), it will cause serious damage to vision.

Regular eye examinations

Many elderly people are afraid of worrying their children and family members when they have eye diseases, especially when fundus diseases occur, there are no obvious symptoms of eye pain or redness, so patients and their families often ignore the development of the disease. However, due to the complexity and variety of fundus diseases, most of them are difficult and complicated diseases, and they require higher equipment, diagnosis and treatment technology than other eye diseases, and cause more serious damage to vision.

Zhao Zhaoxia, deputy director of Zhengzhou Aier Eye Hospital and ophthalmologist, reminds: People who are prone to ophthalmopathy, especially the elderly, should go to the hospital regularly to check their fundus. Early detection, early intervention and early treatment can protect their eyesight in old age.