Cataracts

In its early stages, a cataract may not cause a problem. A cataract is a clouding of the eye's lens, which lies behind the iris and pupil. It works much like a camera lens, focusing light onto the retina at the back of the eye. The lens also adjusts the eye's focus, letting us see things clearly both up close and far away.

The lens is mostly made of water and protein. The protein is arranged in a precise way that keeps the lens clear and lets light pass through it. As we age, some of the protein may clump together and start to cloud a small area of the lens. This is a cataract. Over time it may grow larger and cloud more of the lens, making it harder to see.

Cataracts are classified as one of three types: nuclear, cortical or subcapsular. A nuclear cataract is most commonly seen as it forms. This cataract forms in the nucleus, the center of the lens, and is due to natural aging changes.

A cortical cataract, which forms in the lens cortex, gradually extends its spokes from the outside of the lens to the center. Many diabetics develop cortical cataracts.

A subcapsular cataract begins at the back of the lens. People with diabetes, high farsightedness (hyperopia), retinitis pigmentosa or those taking high doses of steroids may develop a subcapsular cataract.

When symptoms begin to appear, you may be able to improve your vision for a while using new glasses, strong bifocals, magnification, appropriate lighting or other visual aids.

Think about surgery when your cataracts have progressed enough to seriously impair your vision and affect your daily life. Many people consider poor vision an inevitable fact of aging, but cataract surgery is a simple, relatively painless procedure to regain vision.

For more information visit:
National Eye Institute - www.nei.nih.gov
American Academy of Ophthalmology - www.aao.org/news/eyenet

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Depression

In any given one-year period, 9.5% of the population, or about 18.8 million American adults, suffer from a depressive illness. The economic cost for this disorder is high, but the cost in human suffering cannot be estimated. Depressive illnesses often interfere with normal functioning and cause paid and suffering, not only to those who have a disorder, but also to those who care about them. Serious depression can destroy family life as well as the life of the ill person.

A depressive disorder is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. A depressive disorder is not the same as a passing blue mood. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished away. People with a depressive illness cannot merely "pull themselves together" and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most people who suffer from depression.

Most people with a depressive illness do not seek treatment, although the great majority - even those whose depression is extremely severe - can be helped. Thanks to years of fruitful research, there are now medications and psychosocial therapies such as cognitive/behavioral "talk" that ease the pain of depression .

For more information visit:
Depression - www.depression.about.com

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