“The only thing worse than being blind, is having no vision.” Helen Keller
“Glaucoma is called the silent thief of sight…because when you have elevated eye pressure, and it’s damaging your eyes, you don’t feel it. It can make you lose 90 to 100% of your vision before you notice it.” Dr. Daniel La Roche
While Helen Keller speaks to the vision with which we approach growing older, in today’s conversation we focus on loss of sight vision. It is critical to prevent those vision disorders that become an increasing worry as we personally age, or as we take care of others who are losing their sight.
A 2020 survey of blindness in people aged 50 years and older found that globally the second most common cause of blindness was glaucoma, affecting 3.6 million people. Today I talk with glaucoma specialist, Dr. Daniel Laroche, Director of Glaucoma Services and president of Advanced Eye Care of New York. He is a clinical assistant professor of ophthalmology with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Dr. LaRoche received his bachelor’s degree from New York University, and his medical doctorate with honors in research, from Weill Cornell University Medical College, he completed his medical internship at Montefiore Hospital, his ophthalmology residency at Howard University Hospital in Washington DC and his glaucoma fellowship at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary with Glaucoma Associates of New York, specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma
We discuss types of glaucoma, the prevalence in different ethnic groups, and the importance of annual eye checkups to recognize, prevent or treat the major causes of blindness. Cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy affected 21 million people > 51 globally in this 2020 survey (https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30489-7)
As well as your annual eye test, lifestyle habits, exercise, good nutrition, sleep and meditation are important in preserving eye health.
We also discussed the powerful daily supplement I take to protect my eyes, especially the vulnerable macula area. Schedule a call with me at the link below to learn more about how you can protect your eyes.
Contact Dr. Daniel LaRoche
http://www.advancedeyecareny.com
https://www.facebook.com/Advanced-Eyecare-of-New-York
Contact Dr. Gillian Lockitch Email: askdrgill@gmail.com – I love your feedback Order your copy of Growing Older Living Younger: The Science of Aging Gracefully and the Art of Retiring Comfortably at http://www.gillianlockitch.com
Schedule a complimentary Living Younger Discovery Call at https://bit.ly/3LbWvSV