April 22, 2002

U-M 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 detected in the early stages. Ophthalmologists from the U-M Kellogg Eye Center will discuss these changes at a seminar on May 7 at the Livonia Civic Center Library. The seminar, "Seeing Well As You Grow Older," is free and open to the public.

Kellogg physicians Susan S. Thoms, M.D., and Jerome I. Finkelstein, M.D., will describe 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 rise 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.

For more information about the seminar call the U-M Kellogg Eye Center at 734-763-1415 To contact Dr. Thoms and Dr. Finkelstein, call the U-M Specialty Care Clinic in Livonia at (734) 432-7811.

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