Publisher's Synopsis
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 12 million people aged 40 years and over in the United States have vision impairment, including 1 million who are blind, 3 million who have vision impairment after correction, and 8 million who have vision impairment due to uncorrected refractive error. The most common causes of vision loss among adults in order of prevalence are cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration. Often these impairments can develop gradually and not many are aware of the warning signs of serious eye disorders. The effects of many of these disorders could be lessened or eliminated entirely with regular comprehensive eye exams and early detection which can help diagnose emerging vision problems before vision loss is noticeable. Eye Care Sourcebook, Seventh Edition explains how the eyes work and offers suggestions for maintaining healthy eyes. It also discusses disorders affecting vision and eye problems. It also provides an overview of refractive errors and common disorders affecting the eyes refractive ability to move and align, including amblyopia, nystagmus, and strabismus. Signs and symptoms of these disorders are explained, along with diagnosis and treatment procedures. It also covers congenital and hereditary disorders, infectious diseases that affect vision, and other disorders with eye-related complications. The book concludes with a summary of tips for living with vision impairment, a glossary of terms related to eye disorders, and a directory of organizations for additional help and information. Part 1: Eye Basics and Care explains how the eyes work and provides suggestions for maintaining healthy eyes. It discusses facts about vision disorders, the burden of vision loss and specific vision concerns in different populations. Part 2: Understanding and Treating Refractive, Movement, and Alignment Disorders provides an overview of refractive errors and common disorders affecting the eyes refractive ability, ability to move, and alignment. It covers conditions such as amblyopia, nystagmus, and strabismus. It also includes details about various types of eyeglasses and contact lenses, explaining how to properly fit and care for them. It concludes with a discussion of the most common types of eye surgeries. Part 3: Understanding and Treating Disorders of the Cornea, Conjunctiva, Sclera, Lens, Iris, and Pupil discusses various conditions that affect cornea, corneal injury, keratitis, corneal dystrophies, cataracts, and disorders of conjunctiva, sclera, and pupil such as conjunctivitis, dry eye, episcleritis, leukocoria, pinguecula, and Peters anomaly. It also gives information about corneal transplant. Part 4: Understanding and Treating Disorders of the Macula, Optic Nerve, Retina, Vitreous, and Uvea provides information about various disorders such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, optic nerve, retina, vitreous, and uvea. It details the signs and symptoms of these disorders and explains how they are diagnosed and treated. Part 5: Eye Injuries and Surrounding Structures Disorders discusses how to recognize and treat various conditions, including eye injuries, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and vision loss, foreign objects in the eye, and blowout fractures. It includes a description of recommended forms of workplace and sports eye injury protection. It also discusses the most common disorders of the eyelids and tear ducts and also gives an insight into digital eye strain. Part 6: Congenital and Vision-Affecting Disorders describes the most common hereditary and other congenital disorders affecting the vision, including color blindness. It also provides information about how stroke and diabetes can affect the eyes, and infectious diseases that affect vision. Fungal infections that affect the eyesight and other eye-related complications such as Behçet disease, Graves ophthalmopathy, and multiple sclerosis (MS) are also discussed. Part 7: Vision Impairment Rehabilitation defines the terms "low vision" and "legal blindness," and discusses ways to improve the quality of life (QoL) through vision rehabilitation. It provides details about mobility aids and new technologies that assist people with vision impairment. It also covers Social Security benefits available for individuals with vision disorders, including macular degeneration while driving. Part 8: Additional Help and Information includes a glossary of terms related to eyes and eye disorders and a directory of organizations for further help and support.
