THE EYE GUIDE

Cataracts, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration are the three major diseases of the eye that rob older people of good vision. Knowing the signs and symptoms of these diseases and how to get proper checkups and screening are crucial first steps; once the diagnosis is made, treatment options must be weighed and decisions made. The three chapters in the second part of the book discuss each of these problems in detail.

Eye trauma and emergencies are discussed so that readers will be able to take better care of their eyes and know how to recognize an eye emergency and what to do. A thorough explanation of how such diseases as diabetes, high blood pressure, and migraine headaches affect the eyes should be helpful to anyone coping with these problems. A chapter on low vision describes helpful devices and services and offers useful tips for people with declining visual acuity. Our final chapter looks at how common medications like antibiotics and blood pressure medications can affect the eyes, while in an appendix we describe the side effects of specific eye medications.

This book is designed to offer reliable and current information. We hope that it will help you understand your own eyes, your vision, and any problems you may be having. If you are facing a decision about eye treatment, you may want to take this book with you to your doctor's office, to discuss information that you find useful. As helpful as we hope this book will be, however, we know that only you and your doctor can make decisions about your treatment, based on your specific situation.

Finally, as in other aspects of life, many myths have sprung up around the area of vision, and they have been passed on from generation to generation, causing confusion and sometimes fear.

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