The Aging Special Senses Essay

As a person ages, the constant need to accommodate when looking at nearby objects such as in reading or doing close-up work becomes more difficult (Goldstein, 2014). The main reason a person may experience the need for a brighter light when they get older is a result of a condition called presbyopia, also referred to as "old eye" (Goldstein, 2014). Old eye describes when the distance of the near point increases as a person ages. According to Goldstein (2014), "The near point for most 20-year-olds is at about 10 cm, but it increases to 14 cm by age 30, 22 cm at 40, and 100 cm at 60" (p. 25). Generally, this change occurs because the lens hardens with age and the ciliary muscles in the eye become weaker, causing great difficulty in vision when looking at objects in close range (Goldstein, 2014).

The cataracts within the eye often changes in the lens of the eye. As people grow older the lens in the eye starts to change and can start to appear cloudy looking, this often happens and stops the process of the eye lens from being able to change shape or even to transmit the light properly. The cataracts may start to form between the ages of 50 and 60 years old and can often take a while to develop. If you are known to have diabetes then that also contributes to poor cataracts.

In Chapter 15: Aging and the Elderly, the U.S. birth rate has been falling for more than a century. It happens because children are more likely to survive into adulthood, and so couple have fewer children. As more women work outside the home, they choose to have fewer children. Greater material wealth and advances in medicine have raised living standards so that people benefit from better housing and more nutrition. The oldest segment of the U.S. population, is increasing rapidly and is already forty times greater than in 1900.

A medical definition of vision impairment is a sine qua non that prohibits 20/20 vision in one or both eyes (Bowman, Bowman, Dutton & Royal National Institute for the Blind, 2001; Vision Australia, 2015; Webster & Roe, 1998). Examples of vision impairment include, cataracts, which has the lens inside the eye increasingly cloudy; albinism, which is passed down genetically affecting clear vision and causes sensitivity to bright light; optic nerve damage, which affects field of vision as those nerves controlling vision are disrupted; macular degeneration, where parts of the retina that control colour and fine details are affected; retinitis pigmentosa, which is an ongoing reduction of the field of vision available and nystagmus, where the eye flickers involuntary (Bowman, Bowman, Dutton & Royal National Institute for the Blind, 2001; American Foundation for the Blind, 2015; Vision Australia, 2015 ; Baton Rouge Regional Eye Bank, 2015). John suffers from retinitis

Macular Degeneration is a disease of the eye that gradually causes loss of a person’s central vision. Approximately 1.75 million Americans suffer from vision loss associated with the disease (All About Vision 1). The leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 60, Macular Degeneration, exists in two types (National Eye Institute 1). Both the wet and dry versions of the disease have similarities in risk factors, but differ in symptoms and treatments.

The research topic I will be introducing is Age-Related Macular Degeneration. This has been classified as a degenerative disorder that distresses the macula in one’s eye. AMD is unfortunately a common illness that individuals over 65 suffer from and that is a central cause vision loss. AMD doesn’t have a set disease pathway, in some individuals it advances slowly so that loss of vision does not arise for a long time. The disease can also advance much quicker and may lead to lack of vision in either or both eyes. The disease begins a blurry area near the center of one’s vision which grows larger and larger possibly causing a blank space in the eye (Boyd, 2013). Research is being done on AMD because it is a prevalent illness and has extreme consequences.

Visual impairment is a state wherein an individual experiences difficulty in seeing or not being able to see anything physical presented to them. According to Mandal, MD (2013) It is a state where a visually impaired person’s eyesight cannot be corrected back to a “normal level”. Visual impairment is often associated with old age. In Europe, an estimated 15.5 million people have visual impairment and in seven countries in Europe, about 50% of blindness is caused by age-related macular degeneration. (Dibb,

Age-related macular degeneration also known as AMD is a disease leading to severe vision and legal blindness in the elderly population. I will address the health condition description and the disability and functional implications who suffer from this disease.

As humans, we don't always see with our eyes, but often with our imagination (Grunwald, 2016). Often times as people we never realize how useful our vision really is to us. You really don't think about something like that until it would actual happen to you. Throughout this essay, you will learn how the body is affected by Macular Degeneration (MD). Different signs and symptoms, as well as the etiology of MD, will be discussed. In the following, diagnosis tests and treatments may also be listed in order to help others who would like to know more about MD. Not to mention, you will learn the incidence and progression of MD. Furthermore, information though agencies and associations, as well as new research about MD will be given.

Glaucoma is several conditions of the eye that damage the optic nerve, which is vital to perfect vision. This damage is caused due to an abnormally high pressure in your eye. Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States. It can happen at any age but is most common in older adults. If you lose your vision due to glaucoma, it is not possible to gain it back. It is important to get regular eye appointments because if glaucoma is caught early, the loss of vision can be slowed or prevented. There are two types of glaucoma. Open-angle glaucoma and acute angle-closure glaucoma. The symptoms for these two are very different. Open-angle glaucoma symptoms include patchy blind spots in your central or side vision,

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common eye condition and a leading cause of vision loss among people age 50 and older. It causes damage to the macula, a small spot near the center of the retina and the part of the eye needed for sharp, central vision, which lets us see objects that are straight ahead.

The first disease I’m going to mention is Glaucoma, according to Web MD last updated in 2015, Glaucoma is a condition that causes damage to your eye's optic nerve and gets worse over time. It's often associated with a buildup of pressure inside the eye. Glaucoma tends to be inherited and may not show up until later in life.

     Macular Degeneration is a problem in the part of the eye that controls your sharpest central vision. It is a group of diseases that result in a loss of detailed vision. The brain will not just leave the spot empty, so it learns to fill it in with spotty macular cell damage. People most of the time don't tell their doctors (opthalmologists) about it until it is well in advance.

Advancing age is a common hindrance to the proper functioning of the body senses. The eyes will have difficulty focusing on near and distant objects. Adapting to different levels of light is the other common problem. Cataracts, also called clouding of vision is another common condition that results from changes in eye’s lens. Hearing abilities also diminish. With this, you will have difficulties following a conversation or hearing high frequencies.

“Pay close attention to each student’s individual needs; provide a curriculum similar to that for sighted students; and expect students to integrate into their communities.” (Hall, 2012). There are many different categories of visual impairments that individuals can fall under. People can have low vision, visual acuity, or total blindness along with others. Visual impairment comes in two ways. Friend (2018) claims “Congenital visual impairment refers to a condition that is present at or near the time of birth. An adventitious visual impairment is a condition that is acquired at birth, either in childhood or at some later point in life.” (P. 359). According to Friend (2018), “Visual impairments result when problems exist in the structure or functioning of the eye, when the eye is damaged through illness of injury, or when a neurological problem prevents communication between the brain and the eye.” (P. 360). Friend (2018) found “Retrolental fibroplasia (RFL) is the condition where too much oxygen is placed in the premature incubator where babies are given uncontrolled amounts of oxygen to assist their breathing.” (P. 357). Stevie Wonder became blind through this particular situation. Visual impairment has been around for centuries, but just as the world advances so does the knowledge of visual impairment.