November 6, 2002

UM Kellogg Eye Center offers seminar on aging eyes

Ann Arbor—What happens to our eyes as we age? Some eye diseases are more common with age, but many can be prevented or corrected if you detect them in the early stages. An ophthalmologist from the U-M Kellogg Eye Center will discuss these changes at a seminar on November 14, from 7:00 -8:30 p.m., at the Ann Arbor District Library. The seminar, "Seeing Well As You Grow Older," is free and open to the public.

Kellogg physician Theresa M. Nairus, M.D., will tell you which changes are a normal part of aging and which are signs of a larger problem. They will talk about detecting and treating such conditions as glaucoma, cataracts, dry eye, floaters, and diabetic eye disorders.

With the aging of the baby boom population, vision problems are expected to increase dramatically. A recent report from the National Eye Institute says that one million Americans over the age of 40 are currently blind and an additional 2.4 million are visually impaired. These numbers are expected to double over the next 30 years.

Contact: Betsy Nisbet, 734.647.5586, bsnisbet@umich.edu.