The Effects of Aging on Visual Acuity

Most people who are 70 years old or older require glasses. Approximately one-third of people age 85 and older have trouble seeing, even while wearing glasses. It is the rare elderly person who has good vision. Visual acuity is the sharpness or clarity of vision and a person's ability to see and distinguish fine details. We lose our visual acuity as we age.

Presbyopia

• As you age, the lens in your eye becomes less flexible and can't change shape as easily as it did when you were young. This makes it hard for you to read. This age-related condition is called presbyopia. You will need reading glasses.

Glaucoma and ARM

• Loss of visual acuity can be caused by a condition called glaucoma, which increases the pressure within the eye. Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve, which is the part of the eye responsible for carrying images from your eyes to your brain. This condition can cause blind spots in your vision because it damages nerve fibers. It can also lead to blindness.

  Macular degeneration, another retina problem, results in loss of visual detail. Macular degeneration is the result of a break down, or damage to, the macula of the eye, which is the central area of the retain that enables you to see fine details. This condition is caused by the thinning of the macula as a result of aging. The loss of vision is gradual; however, if abnormal blood vessels develop and fluid or blood is leaked under the macula, this can lead to rapid vision loss. Age-related macular degeneration (ARM) is the primary cause of irreversible vision impairment in seniors in the United States, according to Eyes.uab.edu, leading to monocular blindness and legal blindness. When ARM first strikes, it results in minor to moderate impairment in visual acuity. As the condition progress, it causes severe acuity loss. This is a degenerative process with no reversal treatment or vision impairment correction.

Cataracts and Diabetes

• Cataracts are common among elderly people and cause fogginess as well as light sensitivity. You can experience double vision in one eye, poor night vision, the need for brighter lights when you read, yellowing or fading of colors and blurred vision. Cataracts contribute to loss of visual acuity as does a problem with the retina as a result of diabetes mellitus.

  .

Floaters

• As you get older, the more likely you are to experience floaters in your eyes. The floaters are clumps of cells or gel inside the clear, gel-like fluid inside the eye. The specks you see are the shadows cast on the retina. Floaters can be visually distracting. If you suddenly get new floaters, call your eye doctor. This may indicate a torn retina, which can lead to retinal detachment.

Other Issues

• An older person may have a hard time seeing at night, which is attributable to eye disease as well as the medicines an older person may be taking. Glare, during the day from the sun or at night from oncoming headlights can create problems visually for an older person.