Show Daily Health Service By DR MORRIS FISHBEIN A As old age creeps upon us the ability abil ity of the tissues of our eyes to respond respond re re- spond becomes lessened Certain changes take place with Increasing Increasing In In- creasing years ears For some of or these there is la possible compensation through gh the use of glasses eye-glasses or by means of surgical methods which bring about improved function For others there is no known treatment Nevertheless there are all sorts of quacks who thrive upon the promIses prom prom- ses they make to those who are Incurably incurably in In- curably afflicted This applies particularly particularly par par- to weaknesses of or the eyesight eye eye- sight During the first 40 years of our lives the ability of our eye to focus images mages on the retina and thereby see sec them accurately is carried on Dym by Dy y m means ans of a muscular mechanism whose action depends upon the ability of the lens of the eye to mold itself Into nto a satisfactory shape for or fo focusing using The Thc eye c therefore is able to see sec objects ob ob- ob that are near or those that are arc arear far ar away This ability of the lens to mold itself itself it it- self diminishes progressively through life ife and some time after 40 years a stage tage is usually reached in which it is no not possible to see well at ordinary reading distance Nobody has yet developed any tr treatment by means of drugs exercises exercises exer exer- or any other method that will prevent or cure this condition However However How ever it is possible by using convex lenses of the proper strength to bring he the near point to a convenient distance distance dis- dis tance and thus enable a person to see as well as he could re he needed lenses A more difficult change which takes place in the eyes with IncreasIng increasIng Ing ng old age is cataract In this condI condl- tion ion the lens of the eye gradually becomes becomes be be- comes opaque so that it is impossible to see through ugh it il Although amounts of ot re research research re- re search tIne time and money have been spent cn endeavoring t to find some way to stop the thc lenses from becoming opaque or to clear up the condition after it becomes opaque it is safe to say that no one has yet discovered drops to be put into the eye any exercises exercises exer or any other method of a medical media medi cal character that will take care of this condition The one hope at present present pres pres- ent eat is proper surgical treatment when the time is ripe Another rather common condition coming on late lat in life is glaucoma in which there is increased pressure inside in in- side ide the eye due to a defect of the handling of fluid which c comes mes in and goes out of the eye This condition is treated by operative procedures and the pain is sometimes alleviated by bythe bythe bythe the application of heat Glaucoma is one of the most serious serious seri serio ous conditions that occur oCcur occur and and the patient patient patient pa pa- tient should have the attention of a specialist in diseases of the eye as soon as possible There are certain changes on on the of otC the eye that also begin to occur with increasing age One of the most unfortunate of these is the gradual gradual grad grad- ual rolling outward rd of the lower eyelid eyelid eye eye- lid du due to the relaxation of tissues and the degenerative changes There is sometimes sometimes' also a gradual loss of the fat that is in the skin The eye also waters good a deal because of the lack of ot proper joining of the eyelid to the other tissues With the eyelid in this condition there is also increased likelihood of infection 0 Sometimes attention to the hygiene of ot the eye and simple physical measures measures measures meas meas- ures will bring about relief relict but in the themore themore themore more severe forms torms a v very ry simple plastic plastic plas plas- tic operation which any physician specializing in surgery of the eye can perform will cure the trouble Older people may get yellowish plaques or spots on the skin of the eyelids due to degenerative changes These may be r removed moved by surgical operation It is also possible to destroy destroy destroy de de- de- de stroy them by DY radium or by electric electric- it ity Finally there is the tendency to have a gradual change i in the colored matter ter of the ey eye so that there appears appears appears ap ap- pears to be a a grayish arc over each eye While this is slightly disfiguring disfigure ing lag it is hardly of sufficient importance importance tance lance to demand any operative procedure pro procedure or other at attention |