7 Common Eye Issues to Watch Out for as You Age

It’s no secret that as your body ages, it changes. From wrinkling skin to less mobility in the joints, time takes a toll. Unfortunately, the same goes for your vision. As time passes, eye issues develop with age that impact many different areas of vision, causing issues from cataracts to glaucoma.

And, our eyes change so much and so gradually that as you age, you probably won’t even remember what your young eyes used to be like. Aging eyes are normal eyes, but it isn’t always easy to know what’s normal and what isn’t normal. For example, you may wonder whether it’s normal to have increasingly blurred vision as you age, or if your newfound light sensitivity is something to worry about. In this article, we’ll discuss various common vision changes to watch out for as you age.

1. Presbyopia

Presbyopia is one of the aging eye problems no one can escape. Just like aging itself, presbyopia will affect everyone at some point. It’s just something that happens as time passes and takes a toll on your eyes.

So, what exactly happens when you develop presbyopia? Presbyopia is the natural hardening of the lens of the eye. As we age, we begin to lose the flexibility of the lens. This means that our eyes have more difficulty focusing, especially on objects that are near the eye. Often, presbyopia is treated with reading glasses and contact lenses.

And, this condition isn’t just reserved for retirement-aged people. Presbyopia seems to take effect after the age of 40. If you’re over 40 and notice that you’re having trouble focusing or that your prescription no longer corrects your vision, you may have presbyopia. It is one of the most innocuous but most common eye issues that develop with age.

But, if you are hoping to avoid corrective lenses, there’s good news: there is a lot you can do to prevent and improve presbyopia as you age. Try these natural solutions before you shell out your hard-earned cash for new frames or contacts.

2. Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

You may have guessed this condition would make our list of common age-related eye problems. It does have the words “age-related” in it, after all. AMD, like presbyopia, is not one of the aging eye problems that can be warded off. It will eventually affect most people once they reach a certain age. However, it is possible to delay and slow down the disease before it claims your vision.

AMD refers to the natural aging of the macula, which is the most sensitive part of the retina. As the macula ages, it slowly diminishes and can gravely affect a person’s central vision. The disease is most commonly brought on by age, but can also be the result of an eye injury.

AMD can slowly progress over a long period, but it can also progress quickly and cause blank spots in your central vision. This disease will not lead to complete blindness, but if it is left untreated, it will progress to a later stage. Then, you won’t have enough vision to do regular daily activities like reading, driving, or seeing faces.

Early stages of AMD often develop with no symptoms at all, which is why you need a comprehensive eye exam to properly diagnose the disease. Otherwise, later stages of the disease will result in diminished central vision. In the meantime, pay attention to your diet in order to ward off AMD.

3. Cataracts

Cataracts are another common vision problem in people over the age of 40. In fact, if you’re wondering at what age your eyesight usually changes, 40 seems to be the magic number. Researchers project that by 2030, nearly 40 million Americans will have cataracts. These days, by the age of 70, about half of us will have cataracts if we don’t take the proper preventative measures.

Cataracts cause clouded and blurred vision when the lens of the eye begins to cloud over. Cataracts form when there is a buildup of protein on the lens. If you looked at an eye with cataracts, you would see a grayish cloud covering the pupil (the black part) of the eye. This protein build-up is more likely to happen as you age. This is because, as time passes, the proteins and fibers in your eye begin to break down, forming that cloudy film

Cataracts are easily spotted. Besides being actually able to see one on the lens of the eye, cataracts can also bring on blurred or clouded vision, nearsightedness (mostly in older people), difficulty driving at night due to glare from headlights, double vision or a sudden change in your eyewear prescription. If you notice any of these symptoms, it might be time to head to your eye doctor.

4. Glaucoma

Glaucoma is another common age-related eye problem that you’ve most likely heard of before. However, understanding the nitty-gritty of what causes glaucoma and how it impacts aging vision is a different story. First things first: Glaucoma is actually a group of diseases. They’re all caused by high pressure within the eye, resulting in optic nerve damage.

The optic nerve is similar to a large cable composed of thousands of small wires. Each of these small wires carries images from your retina to your brain. Built-up pressure, or glaucoma, can damage these small wires, causing blind spots to develop in your vision. As you can probably imagine, if this disease goes untreated, it can lead to total blindness.

The most common type of glaucoma is primary glaucoma, which can be divided into two subtypes:

• Open-angle glaucoma: Open-angle glaucoma is the more common of the two. It is caused by the drainage canal being slowly blocked over time. Your eye doctor can usually detect this during your annual check-up.
• Closed-angle glaucoma: Closed-angle glaucoma is also known as acute glaucoma. It’s characterized by blurred vision and acute pain in the eye. This form is less common and does not have the gradual build-up that open-angle glaucoma does. If you feel sudden, acute pain in your eye, head to the doctor’s office right away.

The worst thing about glaucoma is that it’s almost impossible to detect until it’s too late. This is why it is vitally important to get your vision checked as often as you should, as medical professionals have ways of detecting the disease before it advances too much.

5. Dry Eye Syndrome

Dry eye is a condition that is one of the most common eye issues with age. As you get older, your body loses the ability to produce enough moisture. This unfortunately includes your eyes, as your tear ducts just aren’t as productive as you get older.

When your eyes produce an insufficient amount of tears, they evaporate more quickly, leaving the eyes feeling dry and uncomfortable. Dry eyes can make working on the computer or reading very difficult. They can also lead to a stinging or burning sensation.

Dry eye syndrome is often treated with artificial eye drops that act as tears for the eyes. Though this is a good option for some quick relief, omega-3 can provide a more substantial solution.

Omega-3 helps natural tear production. You can find them in eggs, salmon, flaxseeds, and fish oil supplements. As a bonus, omega-3 can also help prevent age-related eye diseases like AMD. In some cases, getting a healthy diet including omega-3 can actually help to rebuild your vision.

6. Loss of Muscle Strength in the Eye

A common effect of vision changes as you age is eye muscle weakness. When this happens, it can affect how quickly our pupils respond to light.

This weakness causes the pupil to reduce in size and become slower to react to different types of lighting. Many elderly people have difficulty seeing in or are sensitive to bright lights. The pupil won’t dilate to allow the right amount of light into the eye.

For this, an anti-reflective coating can be added to eyewear. This will help the eye adjust to its surroundings quicker without any hassle. You can prevent some muscle weakness by doing eye exercises and stretches. They won’t entirely rebuild your vision, but they can help.

7. Gradual Diminished Peripheral Vision

As we age, our peripheral vision diminishes by approximately one to three degrees every decade. It may not seem like much, but by the time most of us reach the age of 70, our peripheral vision will have lost 20 to 30 degrees of visibility. This is one of the most problematic eye issues with age for a variety of reasons.

This is especially dangerous when driving. If you’re still driving at the age of 70, kudos to you, first of all. But also be careful to really check those blind spots. Or, you can buy extra mirrors that attach to the ones already on the car to extend your field of vision. And, if you are the primary caregiver for someone over the age of 70, it’s definitely a good idea to get that peripheral vision checked.

Abnormal Eye Issues with Age

Now you know what to expect from vision changes as you age. But what isn’t normal? What aging eye problems should you be looking for to prevent more serious age-related vision conditions?

• Floaters and flashes: Some floaters and flashes are normal in your vision. They’re just shadows of things that are floating around in the fluid of the eye, and it’s no big deal. However, if you notice a higher number of floaters than usual and frequent flashing in your vision, this could be a sign of a detached retina. Talk to your eye doctor about these symptoms immediately.
• Sudden loss of peripheral vision: This one may be a little confusing. Yes, a gradual loss of your peripheral vision is a normal part of aging, but if it happens suddenly, it may be caused by glaucoma. Have your eye doctor perform a comprehensive glaucoma exam so that you can diagnose the disease and begin treating it as soon as possible. Glaucoma can lead to blindness, making it one of the most severe eye conditions that develops with age.

There’s no reason to be afraid of aging if you take care of your body. Your body was able to take care of itself when it was young, but now it needs your help. Especially when it comes to vision changes as you age. After the age of 40, it is recommended that you receive an eye exam at least once a year to catch any aging eye problems early. With early detection, you can mitigate many of these issues before they become too severe.