Diabetic retinopathy generally has two complications: hypoxia, which leads to the growth of blood vessels; and leakage of those fragile blood vessels, which can lead to vitreous hemorrhage or macular edema. To prevent this, injections of eye medications are usually administered to stop the growth of blood vessels and thereby reduce hypoxia.

Glaucoma is basically treated with minimally invasive cataract surgery to remove the cloudy lens and implant an artificial lens. Lastly, glaucoma is controlled through early treatment by controlling the nerve fibers and preventing them from continuing to damage the optic nerve. There is no treatment for glaucoma; only through testing, medication, surgery, or laser to control eye pressure can slow the damage to the optic nerve.

Older adults can prevent eye diseases by changing their daily habits, such as eating less sugar and salt; eating foods rich in vitamins A, carotenoids, or omega-3 fatty acids, which have antioxidant effects; doing at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise; and not smoking. Older adults should have regular eye exams to prevent and treat eye diseases early. Avoiding exposure to ultraviolet light as much as possible can prevent various eye diseases.

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Immune system diseases occur in people of different ages. The most common are rheumatoid arthritis, dry joint syndrome, ankylosing spondylitis, or lupus erythematosus. In the case of rheumatoid arthritis, patients may experience pain in the lower back, hip pain, or a feeling of tightness in the back when getting up due to inflammatory symptoms. Due to inflammation, calcification occurs. The joints become fused together, making it difficult to get up in the morning or to reach your toes when bending down; this can affect joint function over time. The first line of treatment is systemic therapy, usually prescribed by a rheumatologist. Oral anti-inflammatory medications are usually prescribed.

In first-line treatment, steroids are commonly used, but if we use high doses of steroids or continuous treatment, we generally switch to second-line drugs to reduce the side effects caused by steroids. In this case, biopharmaceuticals and immunosuppressants are used as second-line drugs to control long-term treatment.

Research shows that 80% of patients have at least one episode of eye inflammation in their lifetime. Conjunctivitis is one of these inflammations, which releases cells that cause visual impairment. These cells combine with proteins in the eye and accumulate in the anterior chamber, causing the anterior chamber fluid to not drain away, leading to increased eye pressure, damage to the optic nerve, and the development of glaucoma.

To treat the inflammation, a blood test is usually performed to look for inflammatory factors and X-rays are taken, such as X-rays of the lungs or the lumbar spine, to see if there are any problems with the lungs or the lumbar spine. If so, medication is usually used to control the inflammation (a type of anti-inflammatory steroid eye drop). Additionally, to check for any side effects or complications, eye drops for glaucoma are used to control the eye pressure, so ophthalmologists and rheumatologists work together to care for and treat the patient.