Blog Detail

As you age, you'll notice your body slowing down. You might face mobility issues or receive a chronic illness diagnosis. Something you might not think about is your vision health. It's common for seniors to have vision changes, but you can take steps to prevent or slow eye conditions. The following information can help you take care of your vision.

1. Your Vision Changes as You Age

Even if you've had perfect vision your whole life, you might notice difficulties seeing well as you get older. It's common to have trouble focusing on things that are close as you age. You can easily remedy this issue with corrective lenses. Another issue is having difficulty distinguishing objects from their background. Your eyes might become more sensitive to light changes, causing them to struggle with focus when you switch to different light levels.

2. You Face the Risk of Age-Related Eye Diseases

Older adults have a higher risk of several eye diseases. Many of these conditions can cause permanent vision loss or blindness. Being aware of these diseases and their symptoms can help you seek help if you're concerned about them. Common risks for older adults include:

• Cataracts. This eye condition makes your eye lenses cloudy. It can cause blurry vision, muted colors, halos around lights and difficulty seeing at night. The surgery to replace the lenses is a relatively easy procedure to correct the vision issues.
• Age-related macular degeneration. If you have AMD, you'll notice a blurry spot in the center of your vision. It can eventually create a wavy effect in what you see. While it can't be cured, you can reduce your risk or slow the progression by exercising, avoiding smoking, improving your diet and controlling your blood pressure and cholesterol.
• Glaucoma. Glaucoma results from fluid buildup in the eye, increasing pressure. It damages your optic nerve and can lead to blindness. You can't reverse vision damage, but you can slow the progression with medications and surgery options.
• Diabetic retinopathy. If you have diabetes, you could develop diabetic retinopathy, which damages the blood vessels in the retina. High blood sugar levels can cause this damage. It can cause clouded vision and could lead to blindness.

3. Regular Vision Checks Are Essential

As you get older, visits to the ophthalmologist become more important. Even if you don't need corrective lenses, you should visit the eye doctor yearly. You might need more frequent exams if you have a higher risk of eye diseases. Your ophthalmologist will run various tests to detect any changes, irregularities or eye diseases. Catching issues early typically makes them more treatable and reduces the risk of losing your vision completely.

For instance, glaucoma often leads to blindness if you don't receive treatment. You often won't experience symptoms until you already have significant vision loss. However, an ophthalmologist can run tests to diagnose glaucoma before symptoms begin. Discuss your family history of eye diseases with your ophthalmologist so they can screen you regularly for those issues.

4. Driving Can Become More Challenging

Your vision changes can make driving more difficult as you get older. Vision loss can make it difficult to see signs clearly, and you might not be able to read your instrument panel well. Older adults often have more difficulty seeing at night. Glare from headlights can make seeing difficult as well. Another potential issue is the loss of side vision, which can make you miss pedestrians, cars and other things that are to your side.

You might limit when you drive based on your specific vision issues. For instance, you might stick to daytime driving and wear sunglasses while driving to reduce glare from sunlight. You should also use extra caution at intersections, especially if you have limited side vision. Slowing down can also help if you have difficulty seeing clearly.

At some point, you might need to give up driving if you can no longer do so safely. At Hickory Villa, one of the many amenities for residents is scheduled transportation. This allows you to get to appointments, shopping and other outings without the need to drive.

5. You Can Deal With Vision Loss

If you notice diminishing vision as you get older, you can make some changes and use assistive devices to help you overcome the decreased vision. These tips can help you handle various tasks and keep yourself safe:

• Add more lighting to your home to help you see better.
• Use magnifying tools to help you read better.
• Remove area rugs and tripping hazards from your home that you might not be able to see clearly.
• Use voice-activated assistant devices to help with things like controlling smart devices, making lists and ordering items online.
• Install grab bars to give yourself stability.

6. Seniors Can Prevent Eye Problems

Getting older can naturally cause changes in your vision, but you can take steps to preserve it. In addition to regular eye exams, follow these tips:

• Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from UV rays.
• Improve your diet to include lots of fruits, vegetables and lean proteins to get a variety of nutrients.
• Quit smoking and avoid cigarette smoke.
• Exercise regularly.

Your ophthalmologist can offer additional recommendations based on your specific situation. If you have specific concerns, talk to your doctor for suggestions.