Aging Eye Problems

The University of Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary reports that the leading cause of blindness and vision impairment is age-related eye disorders. There are four main age-related eye conditions and unfortunately there are not specific steps you can take to avoid them. However, healthy behaviors, such as controlling blood pressure and cholesterol, not smoking, getting annual eye exams and wearing sunglasses, are all associated with prolonging eye health.

Macular Degeneration

• Macular degeneration results when the macula, the center of the retina (located at the back of the eye), is damaged. Because the retina is responsible for color and detail in your vision, the signs of macular degeneration are a need for more light and a gradual loss of detail in your vision. There are actually two kinds of macular degeneration: wet and dry. With wet macular degeneration (the least common variety), the result can be a sudden loss of central vision. Photodynamic therapy, which uses a laser to seal leaking blood vessels in the macula, can help slow the progress of wet macular degeneration.

Cataracts

• Cataracts cause a clouding of the eye lens and the result in a loss of clarity in your vision. While cataracts are primarily age-related, the actual causes aren't known. However, smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol have been associated with the condition.

Glaucoma

• Glaucoma results from damage to the optic nerve, typically caused by elevated eye pressure. One of the first signs of the disease is a deterioration of your depth perception. You'll also notice trouble driving at night. As the disease advances, you'll have a loss of peripheral vision. If diagnosed early, eye drops can help manage eye pressure. Blood pressure control and health circulation can also help reduce your odds of developing glaucoma.

Diabetic retinopathy

• If you have diabetes, one of the long-term complications that can emerge if your diabetes isn't controlled is diabetic retinopathy. The disease can cause hemorrhages in the retina (and specifically the macula). The symptoms include blurred vision, especially with near-vision, or reading problems. If you have diabetes, avoiding diabetic retinopathy should be an especially important reason to manage your blood glucose levels.

Prevention/Solution

• Unfortunately, many eye disorders cannot be prevented. However, there are steps you can take to lower your risk and preserve your eye health. The most important thing you can do is have annual eye exams and follow the advice of your doctor. This is especially important if you have a family history of eye disorders. And because many conditions develop slowly, you should pay especially close attention to such things as peripheral vision, visual clarity, changes in depth perception and any other changes in how you see the world, as well as whether you need more light to see clearly or whether activities such as reading cause you headaches. These should all be reported promptly to your doctor.