Eventually, everything is affected by age, including your eyes. It’s important to understand how aging can change your eyes and what you can do to keep your eyes in the best health possible.
Common Eye Conditions Related to Aging
Presbyopia – when the lens in your eye loses flexibility, making it difficult to read up close; this can be treated with reading glasses, laser vision correction, or multifocal lenses.
Dry eye – hormonal changes or the use of some medications can cause changes in the eye’s tear production and may cause dry eye; this may lead to eye irritation.
Diabetic retinopathy – occurs when the small blood vessels inside the retina swell, leak fluid or close off completely due to low blood sugar levels.
Cataracts – as you age, proteins in your lens clump together, making the eye’s lens blurry, cloudy or dim, interfering with daily activities like driving and distinguishing colors.
Glaucoma – causes damage to the optic nerve, which transmits visual information to the brain; many people who have glaucoma don’t have symptoms and don’t know they have it.
Floaters and Flashes – the fluid that fills the inside of your eyes starts to shrink as you grow older, forming clumps or strands that appear as floaters moving through your field of vision or flashes of light in your vision. If you notice flashes and floaters with loss of vision, contact your eye doctor immediately.
Age-related macular degeneration – affects the central vision, limiting your ability to read and recognize faces; this can be caused by a thinning of the macula or a growth of abnormal blood vessels.
Keeping Your Aging Eyes Healthy
The best way to keep your eyes healthy as you age is to be proactive. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends a comprehensive eye exam by the age of 40 – which is when age-related changes begin to happen – to ensure early diagnosis and treatment that may save your sight.
It also helps to recognize the symptoms of vision loss, which may become apparent while you’re reading, writing, driving or watching television. People close to you may notice trouble with your vision if they see you bumping into or knocking over objects, stepping hesitantly, squinting or tilting your head when you’re trying to focus.
Making healthy lifestyle choices such as wearing sunglasses, eating eye-healthy foods, getting regular physical activity and maintaining normal blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels will also help maintain your eye health and your vision.
The doctors at Cheyenne Eye Clinic & Surgery Center specialize in caring for your aging eyes. From comprehensive eye exams to low vision care, cataract surgery, glaucoma care and more, our team is focused on your continued eye health and vision care. Make your appointment to come see us.