Aging Eye Problems

Old age brings along with it many problems regarding vision and eye sight. Blurry vision, cataract and glaucoma are some of the most common ailments that affect your eyesight with age. Regular eye exams and annual check-ups can help you detect many disorders in their early stages, where they can be nipped in the bud and vision loss can be prevented or at least reduced to a great extent. Almost everyone faces these common eye sight problems with aging; the best gift you can give yourself is getting it checked by a doctor.

Diseases like diabetes need to be checked quite regularly and be kept in control or they may affect your eyes quite adversely. People with family history of diabetes and eye diseases are at higher risk for vision loss and thus, should be more careful. Dim eyesight, loss in vision, pain in eye, fluid discharge from the eyes, double vision, redness and swelling in eyes or eyelids should be immediately attended by an authorized and qualified eye doctor.

You may avoid getting eye infections like conjunctivitis by shielding your eyes from sunlight by wearing sunglasses and a hat and washing your eyes now and then. Presbyopia is an eye condition in which it gradually loses the power of accommodation with age. It is usually noticed between the ages of 40-50. The common symptoms are difficulty reading fine print or straining of eyes when one reads for long duration.

Most of the people lose the elasticity around the age of 65 and may find it necessary to read larger print, need more light, read for shorter periods of time and hold the material at arm’s length. Other common problems include floaters that are tiny spots that suddenly appear across the eyes. However, if seen with light flashes, they indicate a more serious eye problem. Any sudden change in the type or number of spots and flashes need immediate attention.

Corneal and eye lens diseases may result in redness, pain in eyes, watery eyes and blurred vision. Such diseases can be treated using eye drops and corrective lenses but may need surgery and corneal transplantation in extreme cases. There are eyelid problems too such as pain, itching and swelling that can be usually treated with medicines. Cataracts cloud the lenses and develop gradually without any symptoms. This can be treated with a minor surgery and the patients are usually discharged soon after.

Glaucoma is a problem that may damage optic nerves and cause loss of vision in advanced stage. It can only be detected through regular checkups and early detection may help it cure through eye drops, medicines or light surgery. There are retinal disorders that often cause blindness in elder persons resulting from Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). They can be treated with lasers and may be prevented with the use of dietary supplements. Though eye sight problems are inevitable in old age, you can prevent them from getting worse by going to the doctor for regular check-ups.

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