Vision is one of those things that often seem to get inevitably worse and worse as we age. More than three in five adults in the U.S. have vision and eye problems — but that doesn’t mean that everything is set in stone.
With basic care and persistence, you can greatly reduce the impact of age on your eyes and catch any possible conditions early. Below, we’ll go over some basic tips for eye health by age.
20s and 30s: Preventing and Protecting
Most adults between 20 and 40 have healthy eyes and have no need for anything else than some corrective glasses. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pay attention to some basic vision care tips — the more you prevent, the better your eyes will age.
Protecting is the keyword here: everyday factors such as UV rays and computer monitors can quickly add up to the overall strain on your vision. Try not to spend long hours looking at screens, wear sunglasses during strong daylight, and always give your eyes a rest every once in a while.
During times when you can’t avoid putting your eyes through strain or hazardous activities, you should always keep protective eyewear at hand. It’s always best to be safe than sorry, as vision-related injuries can have long-lasting impacts on your life.
It’s also crucial to schedule annual exams to ensure everything is going smoothly.
Ophthalmologists can detect conditions during their very early stages — way before the symptoms start to interfere with your day-to-day life.
Lifestyle choices can play a key role in how your vision ages too. Smoking, for example, exposes your eyes to all sorts of dangerous chemicals and increases the risk of developing cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Diet and exercise are equally as important. Moving around improves blood and oxygen circulation while promoting the disposal of toxins that can affect your eyes. To ensure a healthy diet for your eyes, make sure you eat foods rich in antioxidants (such as fish or green vegetables).
40s and 50s: Frequent Exams and Managing Conditions
During your 40s, you’ll probably start to go through a few significant changes in your eyes and overall vision.
Presbyopia is one of the most common conditions affecting adults over 40. Meaning “old eye” in Greek, it refers to losing the ability to see things up close. You may find yourself holding a book farther away to read it clearly, or not able to focus while doing tasks such as threading a needle.
This is a normal part of how your eyes age, as the lens becomes more rigid and can’t focus as easily anymore. Presbyopia can easily be corrected with eyeglasses or contact lenses, although some people may decide to go for medication or surgery instead.
Other conditions, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism, may also start to show more symptoms at this stage. Again, these can all be treated by professionals — but only if you schedule comprehensive exams frequently.
Unlike younger adults, people over 40 should have an exhaustive checkup at least once a year. Your ophthalmologist will look harder for signs of conditions such as glaucoma and cataracts, as well as ask you for additional studies to be sure.
Factors such as protecting your eyes from screens, sunlight, and strain still apply at this age. Your eyes will probably be a bit more sensible now, so make sure you adapt your breaks to accommodate that.
Keeping up with your diet and exercise is also crucial to prevent some of these conditions from setting on as quickly as they usually would. And, of course, sleeping well and not smoking!
60s and Beyond: Specialized Care
Most people start to feel significant changes in their vision once they reach 60 and above. Several conditions can appear in seniors, including dry eye, glaucoma, and retinal detachment.
However, you need to keep in mind two disorders: AMD and cataracts.
The former is an eye condition affecting the center of the retina (called the macula). It can cause partial vision loss, as it can stop you from seeing fine details and colors. This, in turn, can affect reading, driving, and even recognizing faces.
Cataracts, on the other hand, are opaque areas that appear on the lens of the eye. These directly interfere with your normal vision, causing you to see blurry and lose the ability to see well at night.
Luckily, both of these conditions can be treated to prevent them from getting worse and to restore some of your vision. But that requires being consistent regarding comprehensive eye exams.
While most experts recommend at least one check-up a year for maintaining healthy eyes, it’s also crucial to go to an ophthalmologist as soon as you start noticing any changes. Prevention is key — and early diagnosis can go a long way in helping you keep your vision intact.
You should also keep in mind that some conditions may not show any obvious symptoms. For example, some disorders start by causing a gradual loss of visual sensitivity. This can be so subtle that you may not realize what’s happening.
As you age, you’ll also start needing a bit more specialized care for your eyes. Make sure, for example, that you aren’t wearing glasses with big frames, as they can get in the way of your peripheral vision.
Gentle exercise is also crucial, as well as the already-mentioned diet and not smoking. You should also always use whatever prescribed devices your ophthalmologist has given you, such as magnifiers or glasses. These will go a long way in preventing strain on your vision.
Taking Care of Your Eyes at All Ages
While several disorders and conditions regarding your eyes have to do with your own lifestyle decisions, it’s more than crucial to have a trusted ophthalmologist you can rely on. And that’s exactly what we’re here for.
We, at Wellish Vision Institute, strive to get you in touch with professionals that can get you (and your eyes) what they deserve. Contact us today by calling to learn more about what we do — and how we can help. You may also schedule your appointment online using our Online Scheduler!