As we get older, many of us will have to deal with vision problems. This is just a common part of life, as eyes are susceptible to getting weaker with age. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t know the signs of age-related vision loss! Many of these conditions are treatable with a visit to the eye doctors or can be improved with simple lifestyle changes and practices. Here, we’ll discuss symptoms of some most prevalent age-related vision problems, as well as some possible treatments and preventative care, according to Doctor Moosa, an Orange County LASIK surgeon.
Age related eye problems
Cataracts
Cataracts can be described as cloudy areas in the eye. Specifically, they occur in the lens and cause changes in vision as they physically block any light being passed to the retina. The result is poor quality vision. Symptoms of cataracts include muddy or cloudy vision, light sensitivity, and issues seeing at night. In most cases, cataracts develop slowly over time and may not impair your vision too drastically during its early stages. However, over time cataracts may grow in size and significantly obstruct your vision. In these cases, cataracts can be removed with surgery. During this process, your LASIK surgeon will remove the impacted lens and replace it with a clear plastic one in order to restore your vision.
Presbyopia
Many people find that as they get older, it gets harder to see things that are close up. This condition is called presbyopia. Presbyopia occurs slowly over time, with many people beginning to notice the symptoms at around age 40. If you notice yourself needing to hold reading material far away in order to see it, or experiencing fatigue or blurred vision while completing work at a normal/ close distance, such as reading or computer work, then you may have presbyopia. A quick visit to your eye doctor in Orange County will be able to confirm this. Although presbyopia cannot be corrected with LASIK surgery, it can be improved with reading glasses, contacts, or bifocals.
Glaucoma
Part of our eye’s anatomy is a very important nerve called the optic nerve. Located at the back of the eye, this nerve is in charge of transferring information from the retina to the brain. However, if this nerve is damaged, usually due to excessive pressure, you may experience a condition called glaucoma. Unfortunately, glaucoma usually strikes without any symptoms and can result in permanent loss of vision or blindness. However, there are certain risk factors you can look out for, as they are linked to an increased chance of getting this condition. Among them includes age, race, family history, certain medications, and other health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Glaucoma can cause irreversible damage to your vision but can be treated quite effectively during its early stages, which is why it’s very important to visit your eye doctor regularly. While there are no treatments to restore vision loss from glaucoma, there are plenty of viable plans and lifestyle changes you can make to prevent your glaucoma from worsening and losing even more vision, such as eye drops, surgery, and medications. Talk to your local Orange County LASIK surgeon to figure out what type of laser surgery may work best for you.
Age-related macular degeneration
Did you know age-related macular degeneration is the number one cause of loss in eyesight for people over the age of 60? AMD develops when your macula deteriorates, which makes it difficult to process images correctly and causes blurred vision. While it doesn’t often cause blindness, the damage of this disease to one’s eyesight is permanent and severe, so it’s still important that you know what symptoms to watch for so you can catch it before it gets worse. Symptoms include darkened or blurred spots towards the center of your eyesight worsened vision and a loss of the ability to read the small print. If you notice any of these symptoms, it’s best to visit an eye doctor ASAP so they may diagnose your AMD. While AMD has no cure, there are several ways to slow its progression and make your vision stronger, like nutritional supplements, medication, laser therapy, vision aids, and surgery.