Table of Contents
Introduction
Close Reading, difficulty with night vision, or colors seeming less bright can be normal signs of aging. Other issues, however, might be due to conditions that should be checked by your eye doctor.
If you realize that eyes naturally change with the passage of time, you can take steps early to keep your vision healthy. By having regularly scheduled examinations to catch and treat problems early, and by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, you will be able to have comfortable eyesight and participate in your usual activities as you get older.
What Are the Most Common Vision Changes as You Age?
As we age, changes occur in people’s eyes that might make it more difficult to see things as clearly and as sharply as before. Presbyopia, difficulty seeing objects up close, is one of the most common. People often become aware of this when they are around 40 years old. They start having trouble reading small print at their usual distance and might hold a page further away to see the words as clearly as before. Also, their eyesight is not as clear as it was. If they were already wearing glasses, they may need their prescription adjusted to accommodate these changes. It starts becoming more difficult to see clearly at night with the passage of time.
Driving at night gets harder because our aging eyes become more sensitive to glare. When driving at night, people notice that colors seem less bright and that it gets harder to tell the difference between similar colors. Those changes are due to changes in the eyes’ lenses. Although these vision changes are quite normal, they still can get in the way of our normal daily activities. For all of these reasons, regular eye checkups are key to ensuring that our eyesight remains as healthy and clear as we get older.
Why Do Colors and Contrast Become Harder to See?
The lens of our eyes is normally clear, but with age it starts to yellow and harden. This changes how light passes through, making it more difficult to notice color differences and brightness as well as we could before. White tones seem more dull, blue and purple tones get harder to tell apart, and it just gets harder to clearly see things that have backgrounds that are very close in color.
How Does Aging Impact Depth Perception?
Aging alters not only our vision, but also the way our brain processes visual information. This makes our depth perception not as accurate as it had always been. One of the reasons is that our binocular vision declines. Binocular vision is the ability of both of our eyes to work together to judge distance. Sometimes vision issues like cataracts, glaucoma, or macular degeneration disrupt this coordination and make it difficult to judge how far away objects really are. Not being able to see the difference very well between objects and their background is another change in our vision that affects the way we perceive small details.
These vision changes can have quite an impact on our everyday life, particularly when our judgment of space perception comes into play, like when we climb stairs, drive a car, or even when trying to balance ourselves on uneven ground. Because of this poor depth perception, the risk of falling is increased. By making sure to have regular eye checkups, using good lighting, and being treated for eye conditions, we can lessen these risks and be safer and feel much more confident as we move around.
How Can Lifestyle and Habits Impact Aging Eyes?
Although we cannot avoid some changes in our vision as we age, we can take control over some of them by making healthy lifestyle choices. Just a few dietary changes and small changes in our environment can help keep our eyesight comfortable and sharp. Some of these lifestyle changes that can help keep our eyes healthy as we get older are:
A diet that is rich in nutrients and antioxidants, Vitamins A, C, E, and omega-3 fatty acids, can support the health of your retina as well as your general vision health.
- You can wear UV-ray blocking sunglasses, which protect your eyes against getting cataracts and other vision damage related to sun exposure.
- Since smoking hastens macular degeneration and other vision issues, it is best to just quit.
- Make sure to take regular breaks from your electronic screens to lessen eye dryness and digital strain.
- Stay active. This improves your blood circulation, which helps not only your eyes but your general health, as well.
- Take control of conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure because they have an impact on your vision health.
If you pay attention to healthy lifestyle habits, you will not only be able to slow down the advancement of these vision changes as you age, but you can also maintain clearer eyesight for much longer. Combining these lifestyle changes with regularly scheduled eye exams will give you the best chance to protect your sight as you age.
What Can You Do to Keep Your Eyes Healthy as You Get Older?
What Can You Do to Keep Your Eyes Healthy as You Get Older?
How Can Golden Vision Help Treat Your Eyes As You Age?
The personalized vision care tailored to your own specific vision needs that is offered here at Golden Vision will help you keep your vision clear and healthy as you get older. Our experienced team will diagnose and help manage many age-related vision changes, such as presbyopia, cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration. We also manage and treat many other concerns, like dry eyes or problems with seeing clearly at night. By using our advanced diagnostic tools and personalized treatment plans, Golden Vision will make sure that you receive the eye care you need at each stage of your life. By scheduling an appointment now, we can help you maintain your eye health for many years.
