There’s truth to the saying, “with age comes wisdom”. Unfortunately, age can also bring eye issues. After 50, being mindful of these changes increases with every year because early detection can help protect your vision and prevent vision loss. Here are 3 eye conditions to be aware of as you enter your 50s and beyond.
Eye Conditions To Watch Out For
1. Low vision
Low vision is a form of age-related macular degeneration. You may have low vision if you can’t see well enough to do everyday tasks like reading or cooking or find that lights don’t seem as bright. Low vision can impair quality of life and safety because it can cause difficulty not only recognizing the faces of your friends or family but also reading street signs while driving.
Low vision cannot be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, medication, or surgery. However, there are many options to improve one’s sight, including tinted eyewear to help with light sensitivity and contrast, magnifiers, and large-print reading materials.
2. Droopy eyelids
Drooping upper eyelids can impair peripheral vision. Excessive upper eyelid skin triggered by aging, called dermatochalasis, is one way. Another is muscle weakness in the eyelid, called ptosis.
Treatment for either condition involves surgery. The procedures are very common and straightforward and can be done in your eye doctor’s office with a local anesthetic.
3. Scotoma
If you have a blind spot or a flickering light somewhere in the center of your vision or around the edges, it could be Scotoma. Additionally, other symptoms include difficulty seeing certain colors and requiring bright light to see clearly.
Temporary scotomas, such as those caused by a migraine, usually go away on their own after an hour or so. Permanent or fixed scotomas can’t be corrected with glasses or surgery. Treating the underlying cause, such as high blood pressure, can prevent new blind spots from forming.
Protecting the Aging Eye
There are things you can do to take good care of your eyes and help keep them healthy as you age:
- Protect your eyes from sunlight by wearing sunglasses with ultraviolet (UV) radiation protection.
- Be physically active and maintain a healthy weight.
- Maintain normal blood pressure.
- Take breaks from computer screens every 20 minutes to prevent eye strain.
One way to help keep your vision at its best is with regular eye check-ups. Your eye doctor can detect conditions and can help you treat them before symptoms emerge. The Vision Plan from ASBA provides quality coverage with low copays for services you need, including a Well Vision exam covered every 12 months. Sign up now at www.ASBAdentalvision.com.
