What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the United States. Approximately 3 million people throughout the United States are currently living with this condition, with around 95 percent living with the most common form, known as open-angle glaucoma. As a family caregiver, it is important to be aware of the issues your senior is facing and how they are coping with any health problems they are experiencing so you can ensure they get the level of care that they need throughout their later years.
Senior Care Bernardsville NJ – What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Glaucoma?
Early detection of symptoms and challenges can enable your parent to get the medical attention necessary to help them manage these issues effectively and avoid some of the most severe consequences. When it comes to glaucoma, early detection of symptoms can allow you to arrange for early intervention, reducing the risk your senior will experience blindness.
When most people think of health conditions that can cause consequences as severe as those of glaucoma, including blindness, they immediately assume there will be severe symptoms. This, however, is not the case.
With the most common form of glaucoma, open-angle glaucoma, there are no symptoms in the early stages of the disease. Your senior will not experience any pain or discomfort in the eyes, they will not look any different, and they will also not experience any changes in their vision.
It is not until later in the disease that they will begin to experience a decrease in their peripheral vision. Over time, it will seem as though your senior is looking through a tunnel. Without treatment, your parent could go blind due to their glaucoma.
The lack of symptoms in the early stages of the disease make it extremely important for your senior to go to the eye doctor regularly. This is particularly important if they are living with any of the risk factors, including increased eye pressure. Regular visits to the eye doctor allow for the doctor to monitor changes in the internal structure of the eye that enable them to detect the disease at a time when intervention is most effective.
As a family caregiver, there are many decisions you will need to make for your aging parent. One of the most important is when it is time to start senior care for them. A senior home care services provider can be with your aging parent on a customized schedule to provide a set of services tailored specifically for them.
This not only helps your parent manage their challenges and needs in ways that are right for them, but also encourages them to live a lifestyle that is as active, engaged, and fulfilling as possible as they age in place. This can give you tremendous peace of mind, and help you to feel more at ease knowing your senior is getting the best care both when you are with them and when you are not.
Source: https://nei.nih.gov/health/glaucoma/glaucoma_facts
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional Senior Care Services in Bernardsville NJ, please talk to the caring staff at Generations Home Health Care today. Providing Home Care in Somerset, Essex, Union, Morris and Hunterdon Counties. Call us today at (908) 290-0691 or (973) 241-4534.
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