Health
‘Pickleball saved my sight,’ says Florida woman, 79: ‘I was really worried’
Those who play pickleball are known to gain physical and cognitive benefits from the activity — but for one Florida woman, the fast-growing game also helped to save her sight.
Linda Corcoran, 79, an avid pickleball player and great-grandmother, has been playing the paddle sport three times a week for the past four or five years.
She knew something was amiss in 2021, when the lines on the court suddenly began appearing wavy and distorted to her.
PICKLEBALL HELPS BOOST SENIORS’ MENTAL HEALTH, SURVEY FINDS
“Beyond this affecting my ability to play, I was really worried about what these symptoms meant for my vision and overall eye health,” Corcoran told Fox News Digital via email.
Corcoran also began seeing floaters and wavy lines in both of her eyes – on and off the pickleball court.
Pickleball is known for offering physical and cognitive benefits — but for one Florida woman, the fast-growing sport helped to save her sight. (Florida Retina Institute)
“When I texted, the letters on the screen looked tilted,” she said — which she later found out was due to fluid in her retina.
Corcoran made an appointment with her eye specialist — who diagnosed her with wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD).
What is AMD?
The leading cause of vision loss for people age 65 and over, AMD affects 1.5 million people in the U.S., experts say.
Symptoms of wet AMD include blurred vision, blind spots in the middle of the field of vision, difficulty distinguishing colors, and edges or lines appearing wavy, according to Corcoran’s ophthalmologist, Dr. Matthew Cunningham of the Florida Retina Institute.
PICKLEBALL INJURIES COULD COST UP TO $500 MILLION THIS YEAR
“In Linda’s case, lines on the pickleball court were an effective indicator of her vision, as she saw something that was supposed to be straight appearing wavy,” he told Fox News Digital.
“For many who play pickleball or other sports, noticing the court looking wavy is an important sign to come in right away and get your eyes checked.”
Linda Corocan is shown receiving an eye exam from Dr. Matthew Cunningham from the Florida Retina Institute. (Florida Retina Institute)
Other warning signs can include noticing that window blinds appear crooked when they’re not, or that something that’s supposed to be straight, like a flagpole, appears wavy, Cunningham said.
Having trouble reading in low light can also be a symptom of wet AMD.
The condition may also affect the ability to see or recognize faces or objects, read and write, or drive, the doctor added.
“For many who play pickleball or other sports, noticing the court looking wavy is an important sign to get your eyes checked.”
Early detection is key to preventing vision loss due to wet AMD, according to Cunningham.
MEET THE AMERICAN WHO FOUNDED PICKLEBALL, THE FASTEST GROWING SPORT IN THE NATION
“In the early stages, there may be no symptoms, which is why it’s important for everyone to visit their eye doctor at least once a year for an eye exam, even if they don’t notice anything wrong,” he advised.
If left untreated, wet AMD can cause rapid and severe vision loss, Cunningham warned.
Treatments for AMD
There are treatments available to help improve and maintain vision for people with wet AMD.
“Wet AMD is most often treated with medicine injected into the eye, which can help improve and maintain your vision,” said Cunningham.
“While treatment has traditionally required intravitreal injections as often as every month, newer treatments have been found to be effective for up to 12 to 16 weeks between injections.”
“In the early stages, there may be no symptoms, which is why it’s important for everyone to visit their eye doctor at least once a year for an eye exam, even if they don’t notice anything wrong,” advised Cunningham, pictured with Corcoran. (Florida Retina Institute)
After a different medication was ineffective, Cunningham suggested that Corcoran try a treatment called Vabysmo.
The prescription medication — made by Genentech, a member of the Roche Group in Switzerland — is administered in both eyes every 10 weeks, designed to dry up damaging fluid in the back of the eye to help preserve vision.
Vabysmo is the first and only FDA-approved treatment designed to block two causes of wet AMD, the company told Fox News Digital via email.
ASK A DOCTOR: ‘IS IT SAFE TO SWIM UNDERWATER WITH MY EYES OPEN?’
“When the doctor first told me I needed to receive injections, I was overwhelmed and nervous,” Corcoran said.
“I dreaded the shots, but now I know that my consistency with the treatment allows me to preserve my vision to help me continue doing the things that I love, like pickleball.”
Symptoms of wet AMD include blurred vision, blind spots in the middle of the field of vision, difficulty distinguishing colors, and edges or lines appearing wavy. (iStock)
Today, a year after starting Vabysmo, Corcoran’s vision has significantly improved.
“It has successfully kept the fluid out of her retina and has had a positive effect on her vision,” said Cunningham.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
Corcoran added, “It’s overwhelming to feel like your favorite hobbies and ability to socialize could be in jeopardy when you start to see changes in your vision, so I feel really lucky to have found a treatment that has worked so well for me.”
Some of the common side effects of Vabysmo include cataract and blood on the white of the eye (conjunctival hemorrhage), according to a statement from the company provided to Fox News Digital.
Today, a year after starting Vabysmo, Corcoran’s vision has significantly improved. “It has successfully kept the fluid out of her retina and has had a positive effect on her vision,” said Cunningham. (Florida Retina Institute)
For all adults, Cunningham recommends getting annual, comprehensive eye exams to detect potential disease early — particularly for older adults or those who have been diagnosed with conditions like diabetes or hypertension, which can impact eye health and cause vision loss.
“You don’t need to wait to see an eye doctor, as we have a number of tests that can identify early signs of diseases before symptoms appear,” he added.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews/health
More than half of pickleball players in the U.S. are age 55 or older, with almost a third (32%) of them over the age of 65.
Fox News Digital reached out to Genentech, maker of Vabysmo, for comment.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
As colorectal cancer (CRC) is now the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50, a new report reveals some surprising shifts in the incidence of the disease.
Although rates of CRC have been declining among seniors, those 65 and under are facing a rise in diagnoses, according to a report titled Colorectal Cancer Statistics, 2026, from the American Cancer Society.
Adults 65 and younger comprise nearly half (45%) of all new colorectal cancer cases — a significant increase from 27% in 1995, states the report, which was published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
The disease is rising fastest among adults 20 to 49 years old, at a rate of 3% per year.
Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50. (iStock)
Among adults 50 and under, 75% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Half of the diagnoses in that age range are made between the ages of 45 and 49. Although that age group is eligible to receive routine screenings, just 37% do so.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
The report also revealed that rectal cancer is on the rise, now accounting for about one-third (32%) of all CRC cases — an increase from 27% in the mid-2000s.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
“After decades of progress, the risk of dying from colorectal cancer is climbing in younger generations of men and women, confirming a real uptick in disease because of something we’re doing or some other exposure,” said Rebecca Siegel, senior scientific director, surveillance research at the American Cancer Society and lead author of the report, in a press release.
Among adults 50 and under, 75% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Half of the diagnoses in that age range are made between the ages of 45 and 49. (iStock)
“We need to redouble research efforts to understand the cause, but also circumvent deaths through earlier detection by educating clinicians and the general public about symptoms and increasing screening in people 45-54 years.”
It is projected that 158,850 new cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed this year, and that the disease will cause 55,230 deaths, per the report.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
More than half of CRC cases can be linked to high-risk behaviors, the researchers said. Those include lack of nutrition, high alcohol consumption, smoking, lack of exercise and obesity.
“These findings further underscore that colorectal cancer is worsening among younger generations and highlight the immediate need for eligible adults to begin screening at the recommended age of 45,” said Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer at the American Cancer Society.
When the disease is caught at a local (early) stage, the five-year survival rate is 95%. (iStock)
“The report also shines a light on the crucial importance of continued funding for research to help discover new therapies to treat the disease and advance patient care.”
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
When the disease is caught at a local (early) stage, the five-year survival rate is 95%, the report stated.
Related Article
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A new study suggests that middle-aged men may be more vulnerable to faster biological aging, potentially linked to exposure to “forever chemicals.”
The research, published in the journal Frontiers in Aging, examined how perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more commonly known as PFAS, could impact aging at the cellular level.
PFAS are synthetic chemicals commonly used in nonstick cookware, food packaging, water-resistant fabrics and other consumer products, the study noted.
Their chemical structure makes them highly resistant to breaking down, allowing them to accumulate in water, soil and the human body.
Chinese researchers analyzed blood samples from 326 adults enrolled in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2000.
A new study suggests that middle-aged men could face accelerated biological aging at the cellular level due to exposure to PFAS. (iStock)
The researchers measured levels of 11 PFAS compounds in participants’ blood and used DNA-based “epigenetic clocks” — tools that analyze chemical changes to DNA to estimate biological age — to determine how quickly their bodies were aging at the cellular level, the study stated.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Two compounds, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA), were detected in 95% of participants.
Higher concentrations of those chemicals were associated with faster biological aging in men of certain age groups, but not in women.
“People should not panic.”
The compounds most strongly linked to accelerated aging were not the PFAS chemicals that typically receive the most public attention, the researchers noted.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“The associations were strongest in adults aged 50 to 64, particularly in men,” Dr. Xiangwei Li, professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and the study’s corresponding author, told Fox News Digital.
“While this does not establish that PFAS cause aging, it suggests that these widely present ‘forever chemicals’ may be linked to molecular changes related to long-term health and aging.”
The study found that two of the compounds were detected in 95% of participants, and higher levels were linked to faster biological aging in men ages 50–64. (iStock)
Midlife may represent a more sensitive biological period, when the body becomes more vulnerable to age-related stressors, according to the researchers.
Lifestyle factors, such as smoking, may influence biological aging markers, potentially increasing vulnerability to environmental pollutants.
While Li said “people should not panic,” she does recommend looking for reasonable ways to reduce exposure.
That might mean checking local drinking water reports, using certified water filters designed to reduce PFAS, and limiting the use of stain- or grease-resistant products when alternatives are available.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES
Meaningful reductions in PFAS exposure will likely depend on broader regulatory action and environmental cleanup efforts, Li added.
The researchers noted that midlife could be a particularly sensitive stage, when the body is more susceptible to stressors associated with aging. (iStock)
Study limitations
The researchers outlined several important limitations of the research, including that the findings show an association, but do not prove that PFAS directly causes accelerated aging.
“The study is cross-sectional, meaning exposure and aging markers were measured at the same time, so we cannot determine causality,” Li told Fox News Digital.
The study was also relatively small, limited to 326 adults age 50 or older, which means the findings may not apply to younger people or broader populations.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Researchers measured PFAS levels using data collected between 1999 and 2000, and today’s exposure patterns may differ.
Li added that while PFAS is known to persist in the environment and the body, these results should be validated through larger, more recent studies that follow participants over time.
Related Article
Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.
Use escape to exit the menu.
Sign Up
Create a free account to access exclusive content, play games, solve puzzles, test your pop-culture knowledge and receive special offers.
Already have an account? Login
Things to do in the Milwaukee area this weekend, including Sports Show
Man arrested for knocking kids off bicycles
Minneapolis man arrested in Manchester after allegedly trying to meet minor for sex
Find your furry friend at Lucky Tails Adoption Event in Indianapolis, all fees waived
As his polarizing Pitt career winds down, a banged-up Cam Corhen has saved his best for last
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
DHS defends McLaughlin against allegations husband’s company profited millions from ad contracts: ‘Baseless’
Sánchez defies Trump in political gamble as Madrid say no to war
Satellite images show Iran school strike hit more buildings than earlier reported
US submarine sinks Iranian warship by torpedo in a first since World War II
Which oil and gas facilities in the Gulf have been attacked?
-
World1 week agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts1 week agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Wisconsin3 days agoSetting sail on iceboats across a frozen lake in Wisconsin
-
Maryland4 days agoAM showers Sunday in Maryland
-
Denver, CO1 week ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Florida4 days agoFlorida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
-
Oregon6 days ago2026 OSAA Oregon Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets – FloWrestling
-
Massachusetts2 days agoMassachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks