Protecting our vision begins with keeping our vision healthy. In the same way we see our primary care providers and specialists to ensure our bodies are fit and healthy, we also need to see an eye doctor to keep our vision healthy too. Our eyes change throughout our lives, so it’s important that we keep up with regular visits but also that we understand what vision changes are normal versus not normal.
Examples of normal changes with our eyes as we age are:
- Become more sensitive to light
- Need more lighting to see objects than we used to
- Difficulty telling the difference between colors
- Trouble seeing items close up
These can all be related to normal eye changes however the risk for some eye conditions increases drastically as we age and those changes are not normal and require medical attention. These conditions are:
- Glaucoma
- Retinal disorders including Diabetic Retinopathy
- Cataracts
- Age-related macular degeneration
While these are all commonly occurring in older adults, it’s important to note that they are not normal and may require medication or other interventions. One of the scariest things about these eye conditions is that many have no warning signs at all.
If you have any of the symptoms listed below, it’s important that you see an eye doctor right away:
- Flashes of light
- New or sudden eye pain
- Double vision
- Swelling or redness of the eye or on the lid of your eye
- Sudden inability to see or everything is blurry
Given that typically there is no warning with many of these eye conditions, it’s important that you see an ophthalmologist or optometrist annually for a dilated eye exam. It’s important that you have a dilated eye exam so that the provider can visualize the back of the eye which is where some eye problems frequently occur.
The good news is that along with an annual vision exam, there are some other steps you can take to ensure your eyes are healthy:
- Wear sunglasses and a hat with a brim whenever you are outside in the sun
- Stop smoking
- Eat a healthy diet rich in fish and green, leafy vegetables
- Exercise
- Maintain blood pressure and blood sugars within normal limits
- Wear safety goggles if are doing yard work, playing sports including pickleball or working around your home
- If you are on a computer or other electronic device for too long, take breaks to pause and blink so your eyes can get a break
Vision is vital to everyone so it’s important to educate yourself on how best to protect your eyes and take steps to keep them healthy.
