You typically don’t spend much time thinking about your potential eyesight when you’re in your 20s or 30s but you should. Upon reaching the average age of 40, you’ll find that it’s harder to concentrate on things up close. This is because the lens inside the eye starts losing its ability to change shape — a process called presbyopia. You can compensate for this gradual decrease in focusing ability for a time by keeping the reading material farther from your eyes. But you’ll finally need to wear glasses, progressive lenses or multifocal optical lenses.
When you keep aging in your 50s and beyond, presbyopia is becoming more advanced. You may note the need for more regular eyeglass changes or contact lens prescriptions. About half of all Americans, 65 of them have a certain degree of cataract formation in their eyes. The proportion is even rising when you reach your 70s. Luckily, modern cataract surgery is extremely safe and so successful that usually 100 percent of the vision lost due to cataract formation is restored. Should you notice changes in the vision due to cataracts, do not hesitate to speak with an optometry about the symptoms.
As you age, muscles which control your pupil size and light reaction lose some strength. It makes the pupil smaller and less sensitive to changes in ambient lighting. Because of these shifts, people in their 60’s require three times as much ambient light as those in their 20’s and good eye care regimen for comfortable reading. Seniors are also more likely to be blinded by bright sunlight and glare as they emerge from a dimly-illuminated building such as a cinema. By the time you reach your 70s and 80s you may experience a 20 to 30 degree peripheral visual field loss.
Since visual field loss increases the risk of automobile accidents, make sure you are more vigilant while driving. Cells in the retina that are responsible for normal vision of the color decrease in sensitivity as you age, resulting in less bright colors and less visible contrast between the different colors. Over time your eyes and your vision shift just like our body. More light is needed which helps facilitate reading and other close-up tasks. With age, difficulty arises in reading and doing close work makes it more difficult for your eyes to concentrate on near objects than when you were younger.
Issues arising with glare increases and you can encounter extra glare from night or sunlight headlights reflecting windshields or pavement during the day. About 75% of adults over the age of 40 experience dry eye, a condition in which the eyes do not contain enough tears. It may be that your eyes feel dry and irritated. The best natural protections against vision loss as you age are a healthy diet and good lifestyle choices, such as not smoking and having a good healthy eye care routine. Routine eye exams are also important. Photochromic lensed eyeglasses and anti-reflective coating will help to reduce this issue.
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