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Does Age Affect Eyesight?

By Bill Coughlin

We’ve all seen them.

The “old” people wearing their glasses on a chain around their neck, putting them on, taking them off, leaving them sit on the tip of their nose so they can still squint and not be able to read the menu.

And we all hope “we” don’t get caught doing that some day.
That hope isn’t necessarily out of reach, either.

Just because our bodies age, it doesn’t automatically follow that our eyesight will go, too. Many older people, even those in their 80’s, can still go about their daily tasks without the need to wear corrective lenses all the time.

However, aging does mean that our eyesight will change somehow. It might be as simple as needing more light when you’re using the stairs or reading a book. No big deal. Just flip the switch.

Other changes can happen, too, though. It is quite likely that you will need to use reading glasses for menus, books and contracts. This is due to presbyopia. Your eyes can’t focus properly anymore on the print of a book or menu or on objects that are close.

And, simply because the body becomes more susceptible to ailments as we age, you may develop some other eye problems.

Here are some to be aware of:

· Floaters: these are small particles that you can see float through your line of vision (usually only in well-lit surroundings or on a bright day outside) and can be perfectly harmless. They can also be early signs of retinal detachment so be sure to check with your doctor right away if you start seeing them.

· Having too many tears: this is usually due to developing sensitivity to light, wind or changes in temperature, but is easily managed by wearing sunglasses as appropriate. If you have an eye infection, your eyes will tear too much, too, so be sure to check with your doctor if you aren’t sure.

· Eyelid problems: common problems include red and swollen eyelids, itching, tearing, light sensitivity, and crusting of eyelashes during sleep. This simple condition known as blepharitis is easily treatable, usually with a warm compress.

Most ophthalmologists recommend that you get your eyes checked at least every 1 to 2 years and wear sunglasses regularly. Both of these practices will help keep your eyes healthier.

Even if you do have to wear glasses or contact lenses
at some point, you can rest assured that it is your choice as to whether or not you wear them on a chain around your neck.

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PLEASE VISIT THE CONTRIBUTOR'S WEBSITE

Protect your eyesight
Do You Believe Eyesight Is Important?
www.protect-your-eyesight.com

That's very interesting, I have had what I believe are floaters since I was a child. I first became aware of things moving across my eye when I was 5 years old, and lay on my back on a summer day looking up at the clouds, and could see these patterns moving when I moved my eye to the left and right.

50 years on, and I only started to wear glasses last year, but probably ought to have started at least 5 years ago if not more as it got harder and harder to read things like menu's, especially in lower light.

It's really frustrating having to wear glasses to see things close up, since even simple things like doing DIY jobs around the house require me to put my glasses on and off.

I wish there was some miracle cure, some herbal remedy for example, so my eyesight would improve again.

You should read this page on Protect Your Eyesight.com about floaters.

http://www.protect-your-eyesight.com/floaters.html

I've had those same kind of 'floaters' that Poddys describes since I was young too. I've also had little gold flecks of light (stars) in my field of vision at night when I was young too. I don't notice them so much now though.

I've had myopia (short-sightedness) since I was about 12 years old. Now for the past couple years I have to take my glasses off to read small print. My project this year is to improve my vision to the point where I don't need glasses anymore. I've had some interesting experiences where I have improved my vision, but only for brief periods of time. I have a set of tools I'm going to be using, and I just need to get an eye chart on a wall and measure the proper distance so I can test my starting point. Then I'll run my eyesight experiment and report on my results - I'm really looking forward to it.

You can get a Free Eye Chart on this page.

http://www.protect-your-eyesight.com/eyesight-test.html

That sounds interesting Donna. I am curious as to what tools you can use to improve your eyesight. Anything is worth trying. My problem is often trying to read something in low light. If I can increase the light I can read much better.

You can find the tools you need on this page.

http://www.protect-your-eyesight.com/rebuilding-your-vision.html

@Poddys I've got a list of things I'm going to be using, from getting the best nutrition I can (from food, not supplements), to binaural beats and hypnosis scripts, to the eyesight exercises created by Dr Bates, to EFT. But I'll be putting the results and exactly what I try online - not sure if it will be on one of my existing blogs or elsewhere.

I love reading in bed, but I was having trouble with small print and not having enough light. I've found that using my iPod touch (are you a gadget lover like me?) is a great way to read in bed. It's backlit, and I always invert the book reading programs so it's a black background with light colored letters. I've also really gotten into audio books in a big way. So much easier on the eyes. Some of the narrators are just amazingly talented - check out Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol audio book for one of the best 'readers' I've ever heard - the guy is amazing! In fact, I should be writing intel about these shouldn't I?

There is a list of foods and why you should eat them on this page.

http://www.protect-your-eyesight.com/other-important-foods-for-eye-health.html

I am a firm believer in eating healthy and eating natural foods, so hopefully this will help. Makes me sad that I have eaten an almost unhealthy amount of carrots over the last 5 years, yet my eyesight still went downhill :(

I don't have an iPod, but that would be good I am sure. I just really dislike iTunes, but I have another MP3 Player that is great for Audio Books. I rarely have time to lie in bed on my own listening to them though these days.

The hypnosis and eye exercises sound very interesting. Anything is worth doing I think if it can help your eyesight.

Poddys Jan 26, 2010 05:23

I used to have 20-20 and now I wear glasses.
Caused from too much reading I suppose..

A wholistic orientation to health

Watching TV, computer use, reliance on optical correction from glasses and contacts, as well as the normal aging process, all contribute to weak and distorted vision.

Integral components of the eye are not stimulated but instead suffer from a narrow range of use, in the same way that repetitive mousing and typing tasks on the computer can lead to tendonitis in the arm and, eventually, carpal tunnel.

I think nutrition plays a very big role in protecting our vision, and that there are also psychological factors involved. Yes, to me vision is very high of the list of necessary things, whether is physical vision, or the ability to visualize, in the sense of having an overall vision in life.

Janet Jenson Feb 13, 2010 15:25

I agree with Janet, from experience I found that psychological factors are very important too. In fact I believe that even if you do everything else you can, if there is a psychological reason that you "don't want to see" it will hold you back.

Donna Miller Feb 13, 2010 18:53

Great informative contribution, I too suffer with impaired vision, noticeably more so in the last two years.

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