Last Updated on July 11, 2024 by Asfa Rasheed
Vision issues can cause a lot of stress and discomfort for people of all ages. It affects a person’s job, hobbies, and independence. Unfortunately, loss of vision is an inevitable side effect of getting older.
Presbyopia is the clinical name for when your eyes lose their ability to focus on nearby objects. People of any age can suffer from far-sightedness, but presbyopia affects almost everyone starting in the early to mid-40s.
Table of Contents
Here are some of the vision problems to stay aware of and how to stay on top of your eye health.
The Main Causes of Vision Problems
According to the CDC, the leading causes of blindness and low vision in the United States are age-related. These diseases include cataracts, glaucoma, and presbyopia.
Cataract is characterized by a clouding of the eye’s lens. It can happen at any age but most commonly afflicts Americans over the age of 40. Treatment involves replacing the lens with an artificial one.
Glaucoma is a group of diseases that damage a person’s optic nerve. It happens when fluid pressure increases in the eye. Older individuals are often affected by “open angle” glaucoma, which develops over time.
Common Symptoms of Presbyopia
In contrast to cataracts and glaucoma, presbyopia happens naturally due to your eyes’ lenses losing elasticity. It isn’t caused by a disease or abnormality in the eye.
Some of the symptoms you may encounter include close-up objects appearing blurry or eyestrain and headaches after reading. Because your eyes are struggling to focus on anything close to them, you may end up straining your eyes while working with your hands.
There’s also a chance that you subconsciously move reading materials further away so your eyes can focus on them.
Basic reading glasses from a local store should be enough to correct your eyesight. However, you should seek medical care if the vision loss worsens or you suffer eye pain.
Improving Eye Health and Fighting Loss of Vision
Treatment for presbyopia has often included maintaining your eye health and supplementing your vision with reading glasses.
LASIK surgery is an option that treats farsightedness caused by a misshapen cornea. However, many people who have gotten LASIK in their youth have found that it loses effectiveness with age.
There are some ophthalmologists working nonstop on treatments that restore eyesight with a daily eye drop. Although those treatments are still in clinical trials, they show a promising future.
Until then, avoiding electronic screens and unnecessary eye strain can help maintain your current eye health. Wear sunglasses when you’re outdoors and visit your eye doctor regularly.
Seek Treatment for Vision Loss
Presbyopia happens to pretty much everyone. However, you shouldn’t assume that all vision loss results from getting older.
Seek medical attention if you notice sudden vision problems include complete loss of vision, a dark spot, or double vision. Make regular visits to your eye doctor to monitor for any potential problems.
Check out our other articles for more information on various health topics.
