Perhaps one of the greatest fears of aging is our changing eyesight. We have long ago started to use reading glasses and feel a little insecure about nighttime driving. Is it something we should be concerned about? All our fears can be relieved by following the advice of The American Optometric Association; commit to a yearly eye exam once you hit the age of 60.
According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), there are several eye diseases that have no cause outside of age. We develop symptoms overnight, and the faster we address these diseases, the better success we have in treatment. Here are some common ones that occur in the aging process:
Macular Degeneration – This is a disease that affects the center of our vision. Reading, driving, and even facial recognition may be affected.
Cataracts – These are those cloudy areas we may start to notice in our senior years. They can cause blurry overall vision and a subtle dulling of our sight, especially in low-light conditions.
Glaucoma – A disease that affects peripheral (side) vision. This is one that needs to be watched very carefully on a yearly basis. There are no painful symptoms and loss of peripheral vision can occur suddenly. If left untreated, Glaucoma can cause permanent blindness.
Dry Eye – A little redness and itchiness doesn’t sound like a big deal until we realize that TEARS are essential to the fronts of our eyes and critical for our good vision! This is often a chronic problem for seniors, and many treatments are available and successful.
August is National Eye Exam month. If you haven’t scheduled yours, do it today. And if you’re 60 or older, go ahead and put it on your calendar every year forward. Each of the conditions mentioned above is the natural process of aging, and each offers great treatment options if diagnosed promptly. Some can even be prevented. See your optometrist regularly and watch the world today through beautiful, healthy eyes!
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