As we age, so do our eyes. Some age related eye changes are common, such as presbyopia. Other eye diseases are more serious, such as cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, and glaucoma, all of which can compromise our quality of life.
Since some eye diseases don’t have any symptoms, it is important to have regular eye exams, especially as we get older.
If you haven’t experienced it, I’m sure you’ve heard about it. You reach a certain age and you just can’t see as well as you use to. As we get older the lenses in our eyes become hardened and objects up close becomes difficult to see, this is called presbyopia. As many of us advance in age, so does presbyopia. You may start out with reading glasses, then move on to Multifocal eyeglasses and contact lenses.
Cataracts are also very common as we get older. The Mayo Clinic estimates half of Americans 65 years of age have some form of cataracts and over 30 million Americans will have cataracts by the year 2020.
Other Serious Age Related Eye Diseases
Glaucoma: By the year 2020 it is estimated 3.6 million Americans will have glaucoma. Our risk of developing this disease increases dramatically as we get older.
Macular Degeneration: Over 2 million Americans have macular degeneration, according to the National Eye Institute, and by 2050 this number should rise to 5.4 million people.
Diabetic Retinopathy: One out of 12 people over the age of 40 with diabetes have diabetic retinopathy, according to the NEI. As the number of people with diabetes rises, so does this blinding vision disease.
Why Does Our Vision Change As We Age?
As we age, the muscles in our eyes lose strength. This controls our eye’s reaction to light and pupil size. We also don’t produce as many tears and our peripheral vision decreases. Also, our eyes are filled with a gel like substance called vitreous, as we age this gel becomes thinner and pulls away from our retina. This is the reason why floaters or spots appear in our eyes.
If you have noticed any changes in your vision it is important to have a vision exam. Taking care of your eyes now will pay off with better vision for years to come. Make regular eye exams part routine to ensure you will enjoy better eyesight in the future.
Don’t put if off any longer, schedule your comprehensive eye exam today with Lake Nona Eye Care or call us at 407-658-9990