Today, about 6.5 million Americans over the age of 65 have severe visual impairment and experts say that by 2030 they predict that the rates of severe vision loss would double along with the country’s age population. Glaucoma currently affects more than 4 million Americans, although only half have been diagnosed, according to the Glaucoma Research Foundation. It's cited as the cause of 9 to 12 percent of all cases of blindness in the United States, with about120,000 people blinded by the disease. Also compared to the same period last year, for a total of 1.87 million hearing aids has been sold. Then in another article it states that there has been between 3.28 and
3.65 million hearing aids sold in the U.S. One out of six Americans has
In 2012, 29.1 million Americans, roughly 9.3% of the population, had diabetes. In 2012, 1.7 new diagnoses were made. Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States as of 2010. Type 1 Statistics (2014 National Diabetes Statistics Report): More than 18,000 youth are diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes each year. Type 1 Diabetes accounts for about 5% of all diagnosed cases.
Optometrists have accepted vision therapy, which is a medical treatment for optical muscle disabilities, as a feasible treatment used for eye related problems; claiming the treatment can strengthen vision and give the patient the opportunity to understand visuals quicker and clearer (Press). Vision therapy originated in the 1950s and over the past 25 years, has gained popularity, mainly because of new technological innovations in the field of treatment. Generally, vision therapy is prescribed as a measure mainly for people between the ages of 3 and 18. With the results from a comprehensive series of eye tests, the optometrist can work with the patient using special instruments—prisms, filters, occluders, and eye lenses—and strengthen the eye muscles, thus improving sight. According to optometrists in favor of vision therapy, these methods of treatment using these instruments function as safer routes to repair eye disabilities. Although vision therapy can yield favorable results, the practice as a treatment for innate eye disabilities has been in hot debate lately; as it can exceed $8000 and insurance companies do not cover the treatment. For decades, insurance companies have refused to accept vision therapy as a legitimate method for repairing eyesight (Boink). Concomitant with lack of insurance, the cost for a full treatment can exceed $8000, and doctors cannot guarantee a successful outcome. Recently, parents of children with eye related disabilities, such as amblyopia (lazy eye) and strabismus (cross-eye), and doctors have attempted to cooperate with public schools to allow families access to school-funded doctors to practice vision therapy. With a tight budget, most schools cannot afford to supply vision therapy, and a...
The Oyez Project. N.p., n.d. Web. The Web. The Web. 18 Mar. 2010. http://www.eyes.org/cases/1970-1979/1971/1971_70_18>.
Vision loss from glaucoma is permanent but can be prevented with early detection and treatment. Since the symptoms of the disease are usually unnoticeable, regular eye examination are important especially for persons over the age of 35 and those in high risk group.
The incidence rate for children between 0 and 19 years old was 5.13 per 100,000. For adults over 20 years of age, the incidence rate was 26.8 per 100,000. The rate was higher in females (22.3 per 100,000) than males (18.8 per 100,000).
Blindness affects more than one million Americans (Marcovitz 6). Experts say more than two-thirds of blindness can be avoided through timely prevention or treatment (7). An estimated amount of three-hundred million people will suffer from blindness by 2020. Ray was born on September 23, 1930 in Albany, Georgia. (Sloate 8). At age seven Ray starting losing his eyesight more and more every day. When Ray woke up one morning he could not open his eyes so his mom, Aretha, took him to a clinic. The
The eye is an important sensory organ for vision which houses a sensitive optical apparatus in a relatively isolated tissue compartment. Eye is essentially made of three layers: (1) sclera, (2) uveal tract, and (3) retina with each of these layers performing intricate duties which ensure proper functioning of the eye.
According to Baily and Hall, while visual impairment early in life is associated with inherited congenital disorders, abnormal fetal devepment, and problems associated with premature birth, most eye conditions are associated with aging. They claim that over 70% of the visually impaired population in the United States is over 65. Age related maculopathy, also called macular degeneration, or AMD, impairs the center of vision in older individuals. The macula is the region in the back of the retina that surrounds and includes the fovea (Goldstein 1999). It is important to understand that when this degeneration progresses enough, the condition constitutes blindness because the foveal area is what is used to focus on something. Most cases do not progress this far, but between five and 20% do. Allikments and Shroyer claim that 11 million people in the United States alone suffer some degree of this impairment, with 75% of those individuals being 75 or older. Seven percent of this older age group reportedly suffer advanced forms. Freidman reports the disease as most common in developed countries.
Miller tried his best to make the electronic version of the hearing aid. The results weren’t as good as he expected they were horrible. The hearing aids only amplified 15 decibels at it’s most. Those 15 decibels weren’t good enough because the volume of a normal conversation is about 60 decibels and if one of the people is having trouble hearing the other person will raise their voice another 30 decibels.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (November 2002). Retrieved October 17, 2004, from http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/coch.asp
Robert, a 65 year-old male, has trouble reading fine detail, especially out of his central vision. He complains that his vision is blurred and that it is harder to see while operating a motor vehicle. In addition, sometimes objects appear wavy or crooked, which impairs his vision. His worst symptoms were that he occasionally lost the ability to distinguish between the features of familiar faces and he had a localized blind spot. Robert is not alone; many people suffer from symptoms related to loss and distortion of the visual field. He suffers from macular degeneration, the leading cause of decreased vision loss in the United States, especially for people over the age of 50 (Philippi, 2000).
Approximately 10,000 individuals in the U.S. are affected by Achondroplasia, and about 190,000 people in the world are afflicted with this disorder.Achondroplasia also affects about eighty percent of dwarfs. The disorder occurs in all races equally, as well as genders (medscape.com).
Approximately 2.4 million eye injuries occur annually in the United States. Of these 2.4 million, more than 40,000 result in permanent visual impairment. More than 13% of these eye injuries (over 310,000) are from sports-related activities alone. Every year, eye injury cost an estimated $300 million in the United States for job-related eye injuries, which accounts for only one-third of all eye injuries, according to the United States Eye Injury Registry.
Regarding to the ocular examination, the patient's visual acuity without optical correction (spectacle) was good 20/20 in both eyes. IOP measurements was 18 mmHg on the right eye and 16 mmHg in the left eye. The pupil was equal, round and reactive to light with no afferent pupillary defect in both eyes. In extarocular movement test, there was limited downward gaze with
Depending on how many people are in your family, the cost of yearly eye exams, glasses and contacts can be quite expensive. A good vision plan can reduce the amount of money you have to pay for exams and eyewear and can ensure that you are screened for some common and not-so-common eye diseases that can result in reduced vision or even blindness. These include, but aren’t limited to, glaucoma, macular degeneration, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, retinal tears and tumors. Often, there are no obvious signs or symptoms of these diseases or conditions; and only a qualified optometrist or ophthalmologist can diagnose them, usually during a routine, yearly exam.