Introduction
Alzheimer’s disease is a major cause of vision problems in older people. It is a common type of dementia. Alzheimer's disease affects around 24 million people around the world. The gradual increase in the symptoms makes it difficult to do daily tasks. Loss of memory, language, reasoning, coordination, mood, and behavior are some of the major symptoms observed in this condition.
What Is Alzheimers Disease?
Alzheimer's disease is a degenerative disorder of the nervous system that affects elderly people over 65 years of age. Alzheimer's disease results in short-term memory loss, problems in decision-making, and a loss of emotional control. The symptoms develop slowly over years. It occurs due to deposition of abnormal aggregates of Beta-amyloid in the brain in the form of senile plaques. Patients with this diseased condition have shown abnormalities in the retinal nerve fiber layers and pathological changes associated with the optic nerve. This results in major changes in vision and damage to the eye. The visual problems associated with Alzheimer's disease:
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Loss of visual acuity.
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Loss of color vision.
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Change in visual perception.
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Change in the vision field.
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Changes in pupillary response.
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Changes in eye movement.
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Disturbances in functions like reading, writing, and identification of objects.
How Is Alzheimers Disease Related to the Eye?
It is a condition that affects the eye, the optic nerve, and the retina, which helps in receiving the light race and forming images in the brain. The pathological changes destroy the brain cells, resulting in dysfunction associated with that part of the brain. The optic nerve and retina are parts of the brain tissues that extend outside of the brain and help with vision. The damage caused by Alzheimer's disease can affect the optic nerve and retina and result in problems associated with the eyes.
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Problem With Object Recognition - People with dementia and Alzheimer's disease can see an object with their eyes, but the brain miss enterprise of what the eyes see. People cannot accurately name certain things and find difficulty in recognizing a person.
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Poor Color Identification - People with Alzheimer's disease have difficulty in distinguishing between colors. People with this disease condition find problems in identifying colors in the blue-violet range.
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Loss of Peripheral Vision - In people with dementia and Alzheimer's the loss of peripheral vision is a common problem. Reduced side vision can cause a lot of problems. Difficulty in noticing objects on their side will lead them to bump over things as they walk.
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Loss of Depth Perception - Gradual loss of depth are another vision problem associated with Alzheimer's disease. It causes difficulty in distinguishing between flat pictures and three-dimensional objects. Also, they have trouble judging distances.
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Damaged Retinal Blood Vessels - In people with Alzheimer's disease, people have few small regional blood vessels at the back of the eye, with thinner retinal layers. The decreased blood flow to the eyes can also affect vision.
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The Problem Associated With Glare - For Alzheimer's patients, glare acts as an enemy. The shiny floors and highly lighted rooms are painful to look at. Alzheimer's patients perceive a shiny floor as wet. For such a conditions its is preferable to have a small place with non-slip mats, and closed window blinds and consider covering mirrors.
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Showing Unusual Behaviors - Visual perception changes can influence a person to show unusual behavioral patterns, often making their caregivers frustrated.
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Nervousness - Vision difficulties can generate nervousness. A person with Alzheimer's may grab objects that appear on television or try to pick up things from a painting. They may also feel difficulty in feeding themselves because they fail to recognize the food on the plate and to find a drinking glass of water.
How Is Eye Examined in Alzheimers Disease?
Routine examinations are not just to check for eye health and vision, but also to detect a range of other health conditions that leave eye problems associated with them. Ophthalmologists look for eye pressure, the topography of the eye, the retina, and the optic nerve. The characteristic sign of damage to retinal blood vessels can show a wide range of diseases and conditions, including those associated with the brain, heart, and more. Research has shown that there is an increased chance of developing Alzheimer's disease in people with macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.
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Macular Degeneration - It is an aged related degeneration of inner layers of macula in the retina, causing blurred central vision.
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Diabetic Retinopathy - This is a serious complication of diabetes that causes damage to the blood vessels of the light sensitive area of the retina. It results in mild vision problems and in severe cases leads to blindness.
How Should Alzheimers Patients With Eye Disease be Managed?
Making a few changes in the patient's living environment, can compensate for the problems with visual perception.
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Adjusting Lights - In Alzheimer's patients, pupils take longer to adjust to light and this can be corrected by gradually turning the lights on. Switching on a small lamp before an overhead tube light helps them to adjust to the brighter light. Also, use enough lighting to minimize dazzling and shadows.
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Use of Contrast Colors - Contrast colors draw attention. Using plates, utensils, and cups in bright colors like red will make them recognize the food and help them to feed themselves.
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Be Present in the Central Vision - It is always better to stand in front of a person before speaking. The loss of side vision makes them hard to see from the right or left side. Approaching a person from the side can make them difficult to see.
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Preventing Unusual Behaviors - Another dangerous behavior associated with Alzheimer's patients is wandering. A patient with dementia or Alzheimer's can leave a house unknowingly. This can be avoided by making changes to the visual perception and preventing them from reaching the door. The use of dark-colored tape in front of the door can create a limit for them.
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Regular Eye Checks - It is an important step in managing Alzheimer's and vision problems - comprehensive eye examination assesses visual acuity, color sensitivity, and visual problems at the earliest. A proper discussion with an eye specialist can help a lot in managing those problems.
Conclusion
The occurrence of eye problems along with Alzheimer's disease is still under study. But very promising results from early research helps to identify vision problems and the associated clinical condition at the earliest. Eye examinations can help detect chronic health conditions like dementia and Alzheimer's disease. This can ensure early diagnosis and treatment to avoid potential risk of eye damage.
