Your Vision Changes With Age, But Vision Loss Is Not Inevitable
Getting older brings changes throughout the body, and the eyes are no exception. Reading small print may become more difficult. Your eyes may take longer to adjust when moving between bright and dark environments. You may also need more light to see clearly than you did when you were younger. Some changes are a normal part of aging. Others can be signs of eye disease.
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, one in six Americans age 65 and older has a vision impairment that cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses. At the same time, the risk of developing serious eye disease increases with age.
Healthy Aging Month is an important reminder that maintaining good vision is an essential part of maintaining independence and quality of life as we grow older.
What Vision Changes Can Be Normal as You Age?
Not every change in your eyesight is cause for alarm. One of the most common age-related changes is presbyopia, which makes it increasingly difficult to focus on objects up close. Many people begin noticing this change in their 40s and eventually require reading glasses or another form of vision correction.
Other changes may include needing brighter lighting for reading and other close work, taking longer to adjust to darkness, increased sensitivity to glare, and changes in how vividly you perceive colors. These changes generally occur gradually.
However, sudden changes, significant distortion, missing areas of vision, or a noticeable decline in your ability to see should not simply be attributed to getting older.
Why Does the Risk of Retinal Disease Increase With Age?
The retina is the thin layer of light-sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye. It converts light into signals that travel through the optic nerve to the brain, allowing you to see.
Like other tissues in the body, the retina and surrounding structures change over time. Age is an important risk factor for several retinal conditions, including age-related macular degeneration, retinal tears and detachments, retinal vein occlusions, and other diseases affecting the retina and vitreous.
Older adults may also be more likely to have conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure that can affect the blood vessels within the retina. This combination makes routine eye care increasingly important as we age.
Watch for Changes in Your Central Vision
Age-related macular degeneration, commonly called AMD, is one of the retinal conditions most closely associated with aging. AMD affects the macula, the portion of the retina responsible for the detailed central vision you use to read, recognize faces, drive, and perform many everyday activities.
Possible symptoms can include blurred central vision, straight lines appearing wavy or distorted, difficulty seeing fine details, dark or empty areas in the center of your vision, and changes in color perception.
Early AMD may not cause obvious symptoms, which is one reason regular comprehensive eye examinations remain important even when your vision seems unchanged.
New Flashes and Floaters Should Not Be Dismissed
Floaters often become more common with age as the clear gel inside the eye, known as the vitreous, naturally changes.
An occasional longstanding floater may not indicate a serious problem. A sudden increase in floaters, however, is different. Contact an eye care professional promptly if you suddenly experience a shower of new floaters, flashes of light, a dark shadow or curtain moving across your vision, or a sudden loss of peripheral vision.
These symptoms can sometimes occur when the vitreous pulls away from the retina and creates a retinal tear. Without treatment, some retinal tears can progress to retinal detachment and threaten permanent vision loss.
Sudden Vision Loss Is Never a Normal Part of Aging
Perhaps the most important message during Healthy Aging Month is that sudden or significant vision loss should never be dismissed as something that simply happens with age. Seek prompt medical attention for symptoms including:
- Sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes
- A curtain, shadow, or dark area across your vision
- A sudden increase in flashes or floaters
- New distorted or wavy vision
- A new blind or missing spot in your vision
- A significant and unexplained change in your eyesight
The sooner the underlying cause is identified, the sooner appropriate treatment can begin.
Your Overall Health Matters to Your Eyes
Protecting your sight also means taking care of your overall health. Diabetes can damage the small blood vessels of the retina and lead to diabetic retinopathy or diabetic macular edema. High blood pressure and cardiovascular disease can also affect retinal circulation. Managing blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol can therefore play an important role in protecting your eyes.
Other healthy habits matter as well. Avoid smoking, stay physically active, eat a balanced diet, wear appropriate eye protection, and talk with your physician about your individual risk factors for eye disease.
Don’t Wait Until Something Looks Wrong
One of the challenges with many retinal diseases is that noticeable symptoms may not appear during the earliest stages.
Regular comprehensive eye examinations provide an opportunity to identify changes before significant vision loss occurs. Your eye doctor can also recommend how frequently you should be examined based on your age, health history, family history, and existing eye conditions.
If a retinal abnormality is identified, you may be referred to a retina specialist for additional evaluation, advanced imaging, monitoring, or treatment.
Healthy Aging Includes Healthy Vision
Good vision plays an important role in reading, driving, recognizing faces, maintaining balance, navigating your surroundings, and continuing to do the things you enjoy.
Growing older may change the way your eyes function, but serious vision loss should never simply be accepted as an unavoidable part of aging.
This Healthy Aging Month, make your vision part of the conversation about your long-term health. Pay attention to changes, keep up with recommended eye examinations, and seek care promptly when something doesn’t seem right.
At Mississippi Retina Associates, our retina specialists diagnose and treat diseases affecting the retina and vitreous, helping patients throughout Mississippi protect and preserve their sight as they age.
