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Aunt Rose used to read all
the time but lately she
complains that the words are
blurry and hard to follow.
Grandpa Joe just hammered
his thumb for the third time
this month. Last week
Nancy’s doctor suggested her
mom needs cataract surgery.
Age can bring changes that
affect your eyesight. But
regular eye exams can help.
With early detection, many
eye problems can be treated
and your risk of vision loss
reduced.
Five Steps to Safeguard
Your Eyesight
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Have regular physical
exams by your doctor to
check for diseases like
diabetes. Such diseases
can cause eye problems if
not treated.
-
Have a complete eye exam
with an eye care
professional every 1 to 2
years. The eye care
professional should put
drops in your eyes to
enlarge (dilate) your
pupils. This is the only
way to find some eye
diseases, such as
glaucoma, that have no
early signs or symptoms.
The eye care professional
should check your
eyesight, your glasses,
and your eye muscles.
-
Find out if you are at
high-risk for vision loss.
Do you have a family
history of diabetes or eye
disease? If so, you need
to have a dilated eye exam
every year.
-
See an eye care
professional at once if
you have any loss or
dimness of eyesight, eye
pain, fluid coming from
the eye, double vision,
redness, or swelling of
your eye or eyelid.
-
Wear sunglasses and a hat
with a wide brim when
outside. This will protect
your eyes from too much
sunlight, which can raise
your risk of getting
cataracts.
Common Eye Complaints
The following common eye
complaints often happen with
age. In most cases, they can
be treated easily.
Sometimes, they signal a
more serious problem.
-
Presbyopia (prez-bee-OH-pee-uh)
is a slow loss of ability
to see close objects or
small print. It is a
normal process that
happens as you get older.
Signs of presbyopia
include holding your
reading materials at arm’s
length or getting
headaches or tired eyes
when you read or do other
close work. Reading
glasses can often fix the
problem.
-
Floaters are tiny spots or
specks that seem to float
across your eyes. You
might notice them in
well-lit rooms or outdoors
on a bright day. Floaters
can be normal. But
sometimes they are a sign
of a more serious eye
problem, such as retinal
detachment. This often is
the case if you see light
flashes along with
floaters. If you notice a
sudden change in the type
or number of spots or
flashes, see your eye care
professional right away.
-
Tearing (or having too
many tears) can come from
being sensitive to light,
wind, or temperature
changes. Tearing also can
come from having dry eye.
Protecting your eyes (by
wearing sunglasses, for
example) may solve the
problem. Sometimes,
tearing may mean a more
serious eye problem, such
as an infection or a
blocked tear duct. Your
eye care professional can
treat both of these
conditions.
-
Corneal diseases and
conditions can cause
redness, watery eyes,
pain, reduced vision, or a
halo effect. The cornea is
the clear, dome-shaped
“window” at the front of
the eye. It helps to focus
light that goes into the
eye. Disease, infection,
injury, toxic agents, and
other things can harm the
cornea. Treatments include
changing your eyeglass
prescription, using eye
drops, or in severe cases,
having surgery, including
corneal transplantation.
Corneal transplantation is
a common treatment that
works well and is safe.
-
Eyelid problems can come
from different diseases or
conditions. Common eyelid
complaints include pain,
itching, tearing, or being
sensitive to light. Eyelid
problems often can be
treated with medicine or
surgery.
-
Conjunctivitis (also
called pink eye) happens
when the tissue that lines
the eyelids and covers the
cornea becomes inflamed.
It can cause itching,
burning, tearing, or a
feeling that something is
in your eye.
Conjunctivitis can be due
to allergies or an
infection. Infectious
pinkeye can easily spread
from one person to
another. It is a common
eye problem that your eye
care professional can
treat.
Eye Diseases and
Disorders
The following eye problems
are common with age. Often
these can develop with few
or no symptoms. Each can
lead to vision loss and
blindness. Having regular
eye exams is the best way to
protect yourself. If your
eye care professional finds
a problem early, a lot can
be done to keep your
eyesight.
-
Cataracts are cloudy areas
in the eye’s lens. Normal
lenses are clear and let
light through. Cataracts
keep light from easily
passing through the lens.
This causes loss of
eyesight. Cataracts often
form slowly without any
symptoms. Some stay small
and don’t change eyesight
very much. Others may
become large or thick and
harm vision. Cataract
surgery can help. Your eye
care professional can
watch for changes in your
cataract over time to see
if you need surgery.
Cataract surgery is very
safe. It is one of the
most common surgeries done
in the United States.
-
Dry eye happens when tear
glands don’t work well.
Dry eye can be
uncomfortable. It can
cause itching, burning, or
even some vision loss.
Your eye care professional
may suggest using a home
humidifier or special eye
drops (artificial tears).
More serious cases of dry
eye may need surgery.
-
Glaucoma comes from too
much fluid pressure inside
the eye. Over time, the
disease can damage the
optic nerve. This leads to
vision loss and blindness.
Loss of vision doesn’t
happen until there has
been a large amount of
nerve damage. Most people
with glaucoma have no
early symptoms or pain
from increased pressure.
You can protect yourself
by having regular, dilated
eye exams. Treatment may
be prescription eye drops,
medicines you take by
mouth, or surgery.
-
Retinal disorders are a
leading cause of blindness
in the United States. The
retina is a thin lining on
the back of the eye. It is
made up of cells that get
visual images and pass
them on to the brain.
Retinal disorders that
affect aging eyes include:
-
Age-related
macular
degeneration
(AMD). AMD affects
the part of the
retina (the
macula) that gives
you sharp central
vision. Over time,
AMD can ruin the
sharp vision
needed to see
objects clearly
and to do common
tasks like driving
and reading. In
some cases, AMD
can be treated
with lasers to
help reduce the
risk of increased
vision loss. Ask
your eye care
professional about
recent research
suggesting that
some dietary
supplements reduce
the risk of AMD.
-
Diabetic
retinopathy. This
common
complication of
diabetes happens
when small blood
vessels stop
feeding the retina
as they should.
Laser surgery and
a treatment called
vitrectomy can
help. If you have
diabetes, be sure
to have an eye
exam through
dilated pupils
every year.
-
Retinal
detachment. This
happens when the
inner and outer
layers of the
retina become
separated. If you
notice changes in
floaters and/or
light flashes in
your eye, either
all at once or
over time, see
your eye care
professional at
once. With surgery
or laser
treatment, doctors
often can reattach
the retina and
bring back all or
part of your
eyesight.
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Low vision affects some
people as they age. Low
vision means you cannot fix
your eyesight with glasses,
contact lenses, medicine, or
surgery. It can get in the
way of your normal daily
routine. You may have low
vision if you:
-
have trouble seeing well
enough to do everyday
tasks like reading,
cooking, or sewing;
-
can’t recognize the faces
of friends or family;
-
have trouble reading
street signs; or
-
find that lights don’t
seem as bright as usual.
If you have any of these
problems, ask your eye care
professional to test you for
low vision. There are many
things that can help. Aids
can help you read, write,
and manage daily living
tasks. Lighting can be
adjusted to your needs. You
also can try prescription
reading glasses, large-print
reading materials,
magnifying aids,
closed-circuit televisions,
audio tapes, electronic
reading machines, and
computers that use large
print and speech.
Other simple changes also
may help:
-
Write with bold, black
felt-tip markers.
-
Use paper with bold lines
to help you write in a
straight line.
-
Put colored tape on the
edge of your steps to help
you avoid a fall.
-
Install dark-colored light
switches and electrical
outlets that you can see
easily against light
colored walls.
-
Use motion lights that
turn on by themselves when
you enter a room. These
may help you avoid
accidents caused by poor
lighting.
-
Use telephones, clocks,
and watches with large
numbers, and put
large-print labels on
the microwave and stove.
Less than perfect vision
does not have to hamper your
lifestyle. By having regular
eye exams you will be doing
your part to take care of
your eyes.
Resources
To learn more about eye
care contact:
The National Eye Institute (NEI)
2020 Vision Place
Bethesda, MD 20892-3655
Phone: 301-496-5248
Website:
www.nei.nih.gov
The National Institute on
Aging (NIA), part of the
National Institutes of
Health (NIH), distributes
Age Pages and other
materials on a wide range of
topics related to health and
aging. For a list of free
publications contact:
National Institute on Aging
Information Center
P.O. Box 8057
Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8057
Phone: 1-800-222-2225
TTY: 1-800-222-4225
Website:
www.nia.nih.gov
National Institute on Aging
U. S. Department of Health
and Human Services
National Institutes of
Health
September 2002
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