THEThe second Thursday of October is the World Sight Daypromoted by WHO andInternational Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) with the aim of raise people’s awareness of the importance of taking care of eye health and of prevent eye diseases, undergoing periodic checks.
An indication valid at any age but which can become even more important after the age of 50when the incidence of some diseases increases, on which it is particularly crucial to act in time.
«Glaucoma, maculopathy and senile cataract they are pathologies that they appear around the age of 50 – explains the doctor Pietro Rosetta, head of Ophthalmology at Humanitas San Pio. – What is important to underline is that i progress made in the field of ophthalmologythey allowed develop diagnostic-therapeutic tools able to carry out increasingly accurate diagnoses and offer increasingly effective therapies also for these pathologies.”
Eye health and prevention
However, early diagnosis is essential. Compared to a disease like glaucoma which, according to estimates, affects the 2% of the population over 50 years old, playing early is crucial.
«It is a subtle disease – explains Dr. Rosetta – because in the initial phase it is asymptomatic and remains so until reaching the advanced stagewhen they are now present damage to the retina, progressive and irreversible, with a significant reduction in the visual field. Early diagnosis, which often occurs in the absolute absence of symptoms, today allows, with adequate pharmacological therapy, to intervene promptly to prevent irreversible situations».
The risk of maculopathy or macular degeneration
Also there maculopathy or age-related macular degenerationan age-related disease that affects the macula, the most central portion of the retina, must be diagnosed early. The pathology, which represents the leading cause of severe loss of central vision after age 55differs in a “dry” form and a “wet” form.
«If diagnosed early, today the wet form can be treated effectively with a intravitreal injection therapy which counteracts or in any case stops its evolution – the expert further clarifies. – It is a intervention performed in a sterile environment and in local anesthesia with anesthetic eye drops only».
Dry eye in menopause
If early diagnosis is therefore fundamental when talking about such serious diseases, we must not forget that undergoing periodic checks is also an important strategy for correctly diagnosing disorders that, if neglected, can evolve into more serious conditions.
Between these the dry eyeone dysfunction of tear productionwhich affects women approximately 10 times more than men and which occurs typically during menopause. In fact, among the causes is an altered balance between estrogens and androgens.
«In the advanced stages of the disorder classically presents with burning, discomfort and photobia – explains Dr. Rosetta. – However, in the initial stages, the symptoms are often confusing. In most cases the disorder initially leads to not seeing well: when the ocular surface is not well lubricated, in fact, its regularity is compromised. The sensation is often that of having a contact lens that it alters vision but in a discontinuous way».
What are the consequences?
Acting in time with targeted therapy can make the difference.
«We must first consider that tears contain a natural antibiotic which protects our eyes from infections – explains the expert. – But not only. In the case of dry eye, the increased friction exerted by the eyelids on the ocular surface can give rise to small ulcers, that can become one potential gateway for infections».
How dry eye is treated
Once identified, how do you treat it? dry eye in menopause?
«The first thing to do is evaluate what the causes are – specifies the ophthalmologist. – For example, it is good to investigate whether, in addition to the physiological decline in estrogen, the basis may also be the taking of certain medications that they can reduce tearing. The therapy can then take advantage of different strategies, to be evaluated depending on the case. In the first instance it is common to use artificial tears. If then the disturbance does not resolve or tends to recur, you can opt for targeted interventions on the tear flow pathways. Interventions that aim to allow the tear residue produced to stagnate as much as possible».
Eye health: watch out for bad habits
Without to forget the good rules to follow to prevent the disorder. Drink adequately and prefer a diet rich in vegetables and fruit, is the first step. It is equally important to correct some incorrect habits.
“To stay many hours in front of the computer, without taking your eyes off the screen, reduces the so-called blink frequency that is, the number of times we blink. And this can, without a shadow of a doubt, have repercussions, favoring theevaporation of tears and making the problem worse – underlines the expert. – For this reason the advice is to take your eyes off the screen every 40 minutes observing a 5 minute break».
The dry environment can have an impact
«Even the The humidity level of the environment in which you spend a lot of time can have an impact – concludes Dr. Rosetta.
– When the air is filtered, iin winter, in particular, with heatingthe percentage of humidity is very low and this is a factor that makes tears evaporate more quickly».
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