Aging and Eyecare: Keeping Your Vision Sharp

As we age, we experience physical changes (even if we’d like to forget it). Bones become weaker, muscle tone diminishes. Eyesight is one of those changes, a shared challenge as we get older and deal with a variety of conditions.

Like bone and muscle changes, among others, vision naturally diminishes with age. A lot of the changes are not severe and only require slight adjustments in prescription glasses or contacts, as seeing clearly for reading stands as one of the most common changes. Some problems might be a result of hereditary factors or illnesses, which is important to recognize. That helps you and your eye care professional determine the next steps forward in preventing acceleration of eye problems.

Seeing clearly for reading, stated earlier as the most common age-related change in vision, can begin around age 40 and progressively worsen with the passage of time. Presbyopia, the fluctuations in the eyes’ focus, may be a part of progressive changes in the ability to read small text or close images. As with a camera, the eye lens muscles lose a bit of strength in controlling pupil size, causing light to scatter, rather than focusing directly on the retina. That can lead to more glare and trouble seeing in dim conditions, and as the lens of the eye discolors from its normal clearness, it can become more difficult to differentiate between certain colors.

Macular Degeneration, which causes spotty loss of detail or sudden and severe loss of central vision, may occur. This condition is a result of damage to the macula, the central part of the retina responsible for detail, color and daylight vision.

Some other conditions related to aging include Glaucoma and cataracts. The Mayo Clinic estimates that around half of all 65-year-olds have at least some grade of cataracts, which is caused by protein buildup in the eye lens. Glaucoma is caused by a buildup of fluid pressure inside the eye causes damage to the optic nerve.

Individuals living with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes have a higher risk of partial vision loss, which can best be prevented by keeping blood sugar in check and maintaining regular eye exams.

As eyesight is affected by age in a number of ways, you might find yourself needing to update your glasses or contacts. Bifocals, trifocals and progressive lenses allow for different vision strengths in the same lens that improves perspective of both far away and near objects.

For more information check in with our local eyecare professions.