HeaLtH

By Olivia Jo Johnson

Eye care is an extremely important part of personal healthcare. Making sure you are regularly checking your eyes or updating your prescription if you wear glasses can significantly improve your health.

Dr. Dean Kopan, an optometrist at Kime, Kopan and Associates, located at 4021 W Sylvania Ave., has many years of experience and knowledge to share about aging and eye care. He gives some tips for those looking to take care of their eye health.

Eye heath is known to deteriorate as we age. There are some key tips to know as you age to stay ahead of the game.

“Getting regular eye care is important throughout your whole life, and in particular as you age,” Dr. Kopan said. “Prescription glasses can solve many eyesight problems, but some conditions require more medical intervention.”

He recommends that adults see the eye doctor at least once a year for overall eye health and to be aware of what Dr. Kopan calls “quiet conditions,” or conditions that may take time to recognize.

The Big Three

Dr. Kopan said the big three eye conditions apparent in adults after the age of 60 are cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration.

Cataracts are the most prevalent eye condition seen in older adults. It can cause blurry vision, similar to that experienced when looking through a steamy window.

“With cataracts, vision can be restored through surgery” Dr. Kopan explains.

Mr. Davis originally went to the hospital with difficulty breathing, low blood sugar, and low heart rate. During his 4 week acute hospitalization, John battled infections and other complications. His breathing declined and he ultimately required the use of a ventilator. When Mr. Davis was stabilized, he was transferred to Advanced Specialty Hospital for ventilator weaning and increasing overall strength.

John Davis arrived to us in December of 2022 following a lengthy hospitalization. He was sedated and dependent on our caregivers for all of his needs. With the help of our clinical team of doctors and nursing staff; John’s condition stabilized and improved. John worked with our therapy team to regain his strength to ambulate with a walker, dress himself, and consume an oral diet safely. Our respiratory therapists worked with John to improve his lung capacity to wean from the ventilator and breathe on his own.

Mr. Davis was transferred to a rehabilitation facility to complete his physical recovery before he returned home. We wish John the best and we hope that he can get home to his cats very soon! Thank you for letting Advanced Specialty Hospital to be a part of your recovery!

Glaucoma is a “quiet condition.” Pressure inside the eyeball can gradually increase, causing slow loss of sight.

“There are no symptoms with glaucoma,” Dr. Kopan said. “You could lose 50, 60, even 70% of the optic nerve before you know there’s a problem. Your eye care professional will be able to diagnose changes in your vision. This is why regular visits are so important.”

The last of the big three is macular degeneration. Macular degeneration is the erosion of tissues in the macular area and causes vision loss.

“This can be debilitating for patients,’’ Dr. Kopan explains. “The macula is the part of your eye that works on presenting what you see directly in front of you. There are treatments for macular degeneration in the form of eye injections performed by retinol specialists. These treatments can help restore vision.”

Regular eye care is paramount in diagnosing macular degeneration.