AMD is the most common cause of visual disability in the West. Cataracts, resulting from the clouding of the lens in the eye, are caused by decades of exposure to harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun - and failure to wear protective sunglasses. Congenital cataracts or secondary ones may be caused by certain drugs or systemic diseases. Glaucoma, which often runs in families, results from excessive pressure of fluid inside the eye on the optic nerve. Visual disability results from adult-onset diabetes because the excessive blood sugar causes blood vessels to leak and damage the retina.
Retinal detachment can occur at any age, but it is more common among older people.
BUT ALL this is no reason for hopelessness, says Noy. Each case must be dealt with individually and professionally. Other helpful devices are lamps, tinted plastic screens placed over printed material, talking dictionaries or thermometers, large-keyed phones and recorded books. Pour coffee into light-colored cups, close kitchen cabinets immediately after use, and fold different denominations of money different ways in your wallet so the amount can easily be identified. Since vision can change from month to month or even week to week, buying a series of expensive aids would be prohibitive.