Starting in January 2011 the first baby boomer turned 65 years old. Now every 8.5 seconds a baby boomer crosses that age threshold and it will continue for the next 19 years. A common part of aging is a reduction in your quality of vision.As we age the iris muscles (just like all of our muscles) becomes less elastic making it more difficult for the eyes to focus especially in dim light. Also the retinas gets thinner and the lens become discolored losing some their of transparency and thus blocking light which once again is especially problematic in low light. For most people as they age they become farsighted and are unable to see things up close clearly. This is why most people end up needing reading glasses as they get older.Below are the four most common age-related vision problems:
Cataracts - A cataract is a clouding of the normally transparent lens that is located behind the iris. This clouding of the lens significantly diminishes the amount of the light that reaches the retina. Because they block light cataracts especially impact vision in low light. A cataract can start to form as early as age 40 although most times they go unnoticed during this early stage. In many people by the time they reach 60 the cataract has advanced to the point of seriously impacting vision.
Age-related macular degeneration - Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) destroys the macula, a cluster of light-sensitive cells in the center of the retina. The macula is responsible for the perception of fine detail. More than 15 million Americans, and about 30% of those over 75, suffer from age-related macular degneration.
Presbyopia - Presbyopia is age-related farsightedness that develops as the lens of the eye and its surrounding muscles lose elasticity. The muscle fibers become too rigid to contract or relax properly in order to change the shape of the lens. As a result, they can no longer focus light well enough to produce crisp visual images. Presbyopia is different from normal farsightedness, which is caused by a distortion in the shape of the eyeball. Presbyopia makes it difficult to perform tasks that require sharp near vision such as reading, sewing, or even using a remote control to watch television.
Glaucoma - Glaucoma is a disease that causes fluid pressure to increase in the eye to the point of causing irreversible damage to the optic nerve. This process takes place so gradually that it may be unnoticeable until irreversible damage has already occurred. Eventually the optic nerve can become so damaged that it can't send proper signals to the brain. Those over age 60 are at a greater risk, and elderly adults over age 80 have five times the risk of developing glaucoma as compared to someone in their 40's. For those with age-related vision problems many tasks can be made easier by ensuring you have sufficient lighting since most vision problems are worse in low light.
