How Vision Changes as We Age
As we reach our 60s and beyond, our eyes as well as our physical strength, decline in the way they function. Here’s how vision changes with age:
Normal Changes
Some changes are perfectly normal and don’t signify a disease process. Others are extremely common among seniors and can be easily corrected with surgery.
Presbyopia generally occurs after age 40. You’ll start to notice that it’s more difficult to focus on objects up close. This is a perfectly normal loss of focusing ability due to the hardening of the lens inside your eye. At some point you will need eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Presbyopia worsens as you age through your 50s and beyond. You may need more frequent changes in your eyewear prescriptions and may find that one prescription is not the best solution for all your visual needs. For example, you may need one pair of glasses for normal tasks and another pair for working more comfortably on the computer.
Cataracts are considered an age-related eye disease but they are so common among seniors that they can also be classified as a normal aging change. Cataract surgery is very safe and so effective that 100 percent of vision lost to cataract formation is usually restored. It’s best to have cataracts removed before they advance too far.
Major Age-Related Eye Diseases
Unfortunately, some of us will experience more serious age related eye diseases that have the potential for affecting our quality of life as we age.
Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness among seniors. If you are diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration, you should see your eye doctor regularly to determine how quickly the disease is progressing.
Your doctor can tell you how to control the risk factors and show you how to use the Amsler grid, which is a simple method by which you can regularly monitor and detect subtle changes in your vision by yourself. At the first sign of any change, no matter how small it seems, make an appointment with your eye care doctor.
Glaucoma is a condition that causes damage to the eye’s optic nerve and is often associated with a buildup of pressure inside the eye. Glaucoma tends to be inherited and gets worse over time. Most people with glaucoma have no early symptoms or pain from the increased pressure, so it’s important to visit you’re your eye doctor regularly. Regular eye exams allow glaucoma to be diagnosed and treated before your eyes suffer long-term damage.
Retinopathy is a disease of the retina. Diabetic retinophathy is a condition caused by diabetes. It can cause poor vision or even blindness. Usually, this disease gets worse over many years. If blood sugar levels remain high, diabetic retinopathy will keep getting worse. Sometimes, people don’t have any symptoms until it’s too late to treat them, which is why regular eye exams are so important.
Despite some age-related vision changes that are inevitable, it is possible to keep your eyes healthy for a lifetime.
