Father Time is more kind to some and less kind to others. One thing’s for sure: all bodies age at some point. And the eyes are no exception. Aging definitely has an impact on eyesight – vision can grow weaker with age. As adults reach their 60s and older, some normal conditions and some diseases become more likely and more dangerous. Knowing how age affects your eyes can help to prevent and treat diseases and keep your eyes healthy.
Eye Conditions That Are Normal with Aging
Some things just happen to the eyes as they age. These types of changes aren’t dangerous and are just a product of the aging process.
- Seeing Floaters or Spots: This is caused by vitreous detachment, or the gooey substance inside the eye detaching from the retina. This usually occurs in a bright room or outdoors. While often harmless, it could be a signal of retinal detachment if accompanied by flashes of light.
- Dry Eyes or Tearing: The tear ducts age and begin to function less efficiently. This can cause too many tears or not enough tears, which can mean discomfort either way. If you are experiencing dry eyes, try artificial tears to ease the burning and itching. If you are experiencing tearing, protect your eyes from wind and light by wearing glasses with shaded lenses.
- Presbyopia: The lens inside the eye will harden with age, and that makes it increasingly difficult to focus on objects that are close to the eyes. This is why most seniors find that they need reading glasses. This is totally normal with age, and it can be easily remedied by glasses or Lasik.
Eye Diseases That Are More Dangerous
Even though most of the following diseases are more common in older adults, they are still serious conditions that should be monitored and treated carefully. Early detection can also help avoid complications, such as vision loss.
- Cataracts: This is a tricky disease to classify. It is quite common among seniors and could be considered a normal aging condition. However, it can be very serious. It results from cloudy areas forming in the eyes lens during the aging process. Surgery is now commonplace and highly effective, and treating cataracts correctly can restore lost vision.
- Glaucoma: Too much liquid pressure inside the eye can cause problems in the fluid flow between the lens and the cornea. This causes glaucoma. Glaucoma is very serious and can cause blindness relatively quickly. Catching it early via your yearly eye exam makes it much easier to treat.
- Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD): This disease deteriorates the macula of the eye, which is where central vision occurs. This part of the eye is most active during reading, driving, watching TV, and other activities that require sharp focus. It’s the leading cause of senior blindness in the U.S., and while it is vision threatening, it is treatable. Getting a yearly eye exam is the surest way to catch AMD early and keep it from worsening.
- Retinal Disorders: Conditions that affect the retina, or the part of the eye that collects images and transfers them to the brain, are more likely in old age. They include diabetic retinopathy and retinal detachment. Both conditions could result in blindness, so catching and treating them as early as possible is important.
Your Yearly Eye Exam is Your Most Important Weapon in the Fight Against Aging
It might seem like an eye disease is inevitable with aging, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Get your yearly eye exam and get screened for age-related diseases and conditions. Also, if you experience any pain, change in vision, flashes of light, or double vision, contact your eye doctor immediately. Let the eye doctors at Advanced Eye Medical lead you in your fight against vision loss with aging. Call today for your consultation. After all, your eyes aren’t getting any younger.