Vision and Birthdays
Courtesy RGB Eye Associates, Texoma LIVING WELL Magazines
We hope to grow smarter as we age, accumulating wisdom with every birthday. Knowledge about your health is an important part of that wisdom. We want you to enjoy each day of every year, and believe that maintaining good eye health and experiencing the best vision possible will enhance your life. We at RGB Eye Associates would like to make you aware of some potential eye and vision problems, the occurrence of which may increase as we get older.
Presbyopia
There are a lot of jokes about needing longer arms to see small print after age 40. This normally occurring loss of close-up vision was once corrected solely with reading glasses, but today’s advanced surgical techniques make LASIK procedures a popular choice for those who want to avoid glasses or contact lenses.
Cataracts
Cataracts affect about 20.5 million Americans over the age of 40. There are many indications that cataracts are present, and although they may grow slowly, they won’t magically disappear. Technology now makes it possible to not only remove the cataract, but to implant new lenses with specialized optical properties which may improve your vision, reducing—or even eliminating—your dependence on glasses.
Glaucoma
It’s been said that glaucoma is somewhat like a plumbing problem in your eye. The fluid that normally flows through the eye can become clogged, like a kitchen drain. When there is too much fluid inside the eye, it creates pressure. If left untreated, glaucoma can cause permanent vision loss. There are several treatment options, including eye drops, oral medications, laser surgeries, and microsurgeries.
Macular Degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss among those 65 and older. The disease causes a loss of central vision, although peripheral sight may remain. There are two forms of the disease—wet and dry. Each is painless and vision loss is usually slow in the dry form but rapid in the wet form. While there isn’t a cure, some treatments may help slow the progression.
Your Eyes are Unique
Everyone’s eyes are different. You’ll want to talk with your ophthalmologist, who is a medical doctor with extensive specialty training in eye diseases, about the condition of your eyes and learn what treatments or preventive options are available for you, so that you can make an informed decision with confidence.
Obviously, trust is important where your eye health is concerned. All three ophthalmologists at RGB Eye Associates are family men who live in Texoma. You can be assured that Dr. Burlingame, Dr. Plauche and Dr. Bossen will recommend only those procedures and treatments that are necessary to maintain your good health. Each physician practices medicine with a sense of gratitude for his ability to help patients and their families. Additionally, the three are men of faith, with a commitment to their communities and those they are privileged to serve.
Smiling Eyes
It’s hard to think of birthdays—yours or those of someone you love—without smiling. Each birthday is a celebration of life and you deserve to live every day to the fullest. Just because you’ve had a lot of birthdays, doesn’t mean that you should consider not seeing well as simply a condition of “old age” and settle for less than the best possible vision.
Your family wants you to see well! We want you to see well.
You are never too old to take practical steps to improve your eyesight. Life is precious and there are too many wonderful things to see and do to be diminished by problems that may be corrected, giving you a new appreciation for fall colors, grandchildren’s smiles, and the promise of every day.
The professional team at RGB Eye Associates invites to make an appointment for an exam. We appreciate the opportunity to evaluate your unique situation, share important information, answer your questions, and help ensure the best eye health possible for you.
Call RGB Eye Associates at 903-892-3282 to schedule your appointment. And have a Happy Birthday!
