You have probably experienced changes in your vision if you are over the age of 40. Some of the most common eye problems adults develop between the ages of 41 and 60 are trouble seeing well for close work and reading. This is also the time when additional eye changes may begin to interfere with your ability to work and enjoy life.
The emergence of near vision issues around the age of 40 can be rather concerning and frustrating if you have had generally good vision your entire life and haven't needed glasses or contact lenses to correct distance vision. It can appear that your ability to read your computer screen or see texts suddenly vanished. In reality, these changes have been taking place over time ever since childhood and have been progressively getting worse. Your eyes have had enough focusing strength up to this point to enable you to see clearly enough for close work and reading. Your eyes' ability to focus is now insufficient for tasks requiring clear, comfortable close vision. This common age-related change in the eye's focusing ability, called presbyopia, will progressively worsen over time.
You may have discovered first that holding reading items farther away was necessary to see them clearly. Print may appear blurry on business-related documents or on a restaurant menu, especially in low light. Presbyopia causes changes in near vision that can necessitate the use of bifocal or multifocal lenses, even if you already wear prescription glasses for distance vision. If you are nearsighted, you might have noticed that in order to see better up close, you now need to take your glasses off.
For those over the age of 43 who desire to lessen or do away with their need for reading glasses or bifocals, 43Vision, the first vision correction facility devoted only to treating patients in this demographic, is here to help. Our facility uses the most cutting-edge technology available to combat presbyopia's effects and prevent patients from having to deal with cataracts in the future. In this article, we will discuss common age-related vision changes between the ages of 40 and 60. To learn more about the vision correction procedures we offer, or to schedule an appointment, call the 43Vision office today.
What are some common age-related vision changes that adults ages 40 to 60 experience?
Problems reading or doing close-up work: To be able to see printed content clearly, you must hold it farther away. You might also remove your corrective lens if you want to see up-close objects more clearly. Perhaps you need reading glasses because newspaper or restaurant menus seem unclear, especially in dimly lit spaces, or if you wore glasses for distance previously, you may now need bifocals.
Need for more lighting: You might initially discover that you require more light than you did in order to see reading material or computer screens clearly. Reading and other close-up jobs will be simpler if there are brighter lights in your workspace or close to your reading chair.
Problems with glare or photophobia: You discover that you are more sensitive to glare from headlights at night or from sunlight reflected off of windshields or pavement during the day. More glare is produced as you get older because as your lenses change, light rays entering your eye scatter rather than focus on a single point on your retina.
Color perception changes: Our lenses begin to discolor and lose their clarity as we get older, affecting visual perception and color vision. This may impede our capacity to discern between specific color shades and view colors clearly. Our lenses can cloud up over time to the extent that cataract surgery may be necessary to replace the hazy natural lens with a clear artificial lens.
Decreased tear production: Our tear glands generate less tears as we get older, which makes our eyes feel dry and irritated. Many people in their 40's to 60's struggle with dry eye syndrome. Postmenopausal women have the highest prevalence of dry eye symptoms and are the most frequent consumers of eye drops and artificial tears. This can be concerning since sustaining healthy eyes and excellent vision depends on producing enough tears.
What can I do to help maintain healthy eyesight?
The following advice is provided by the National Institute on Aging to maintain eye health:
-
When you are outside, wear sunglasses that block ultraviolet (UV) light and wear a hat with a wide brim.
-
Give up smoking, which raises your risk of developing eye diseases.
-
Consume healthy foods and a nutritious diet that promotes eye health.
-
Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight.
-
To prevent damage to your eyes and visual impairment, it is important to control your blood pressure.
-
Controlling your diabetes is crucial as it may cause permanent vision loss or blindness.
-
Reduce eye strain when concentrating on a computer or single object by taking a brief break every 20 minutes for about 20 seconds.
Regular comprehensive eye exams are essential for identifying issues before they become more serious.
What can increase the risk of developing eye and vision problems after age 40?
Adults over 40 are more likely to have health issues and work environments that increase their likelihood of developing vision and eye health issues. These include:
-
Medical conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure (hypertension)
-
Visually demanding work may effect eye health or a job that puts workers at risk for eye damage, even if they use protective eyewear.
-
Having glaucoma, macular degeneration, or other eye disorders in the family history
-
Developing a chronic condition like high cholesterol, thyroid issues, depression, anxiety, or even arthritis that require medications that can have potential visual side effects.
What are some warning signs and symptoms of a more serious eye health problem?
Did you know that you are more likely to experience a number of major eye health issues in your 40s and 50s? In fact, age-related eye conditions such as macular degeneration, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma are the main cause of blindness and impaired vision in the United States.
Because of this, it's crucial for everyone in this age range to have routine eye examinations and to watch for any early warning signs of serious vision disorders.
The following warning signs in a 40 to 60-year-old's eye call for immediate attention:
Sudden shifts in vision: Variations in your vision's sharpness may indicate high blood pressure, diabetes, or diabetic retinopathy. The retina, the light-sensitive tissue along the back of the eye that transforms light rays into signals that are sent to the brain for interpretation, is harmed by both medical diseases, which affect its tiny blood vessels.
Seeing flashes and floaters: Adults in their 40s and 50s frequently notice floating specks or "hairs" in their visual field. These are typically unharmful particles that are a normal component of aging and float around in the fluid inside the eye. However, you shouldn't expect to immediately notice a large number of eye floaters and intense flashes of light. This could indicate a retinal detachment, an urgent eye condition that could endanger your vision. See your eye doctor immediately for an evaluation if you experience an increased number of flashes and eye floaters.
Peripheral or side vision is lost: Don't disregard a loss of peripheral vision as the result of simple eye fatigue. Glaucoma, known as the "silent thief of sight" since it doesn't manifest symptoms until vision loss has started, may be the cause of peripheral vision loss.
Perception of distorted images: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) may be present if parallel lines that ought to be straight seem wavy in the middle of your field of vision. This condition causes loss of central vision because it affects the macula, the center of your retina.
How often should you have an eye exam between the ages of 40 and 60?
Routine eye exams are essential for people of all ages but are very important between 40 and 60 years of age. The National Eye Institute recommends adults in this age range see their eye doctor for a comprehensive eye exam once per year in order to monitor age-related vision changes as well as identify and prevent any other eye diseases from progressing.
What options do people with presbyopia have to regain clear vision?
Experiencing near vision issues after the age of 40 might be troubling and irritating if you have never needed to wear glasses or contact lenses before. Presbyopia develops as the internal lens in the human eye loses the flexibility that allows it to focus on both faraway and nearby things. Eye doctors recommend presbyopic individuals a number of options for regaining clearer near vision. These consist of:
-
Eyeglasses, including reading glasses, bifocals, and progressive lenses.
-
Contact lenses, such as multifocal and monovision lenses.
-
Laser surgery and various forms of refractive surgery.
Age-related presbyopia worsens over time, and you could find that your eyeglass prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses needs to be updated more frequently than it used to. Many people become frustrated dealing with the hassle of prescription glasses or contact lenses. At 43Vision, we are proud to offer vision correction procedures to patients over 43 that provide freedom from contact lenses and glasses as well as presbyopia.
In a custom lens replacement procedure, we replace the eye's presbyopic lens with a transparent, cutting-edge lens. Due to the fact that it can address a variety of vision problems, it has emerged as 43Vision's most popular solution. Custom lens implants cure presbyopia, astigmatism, nearsightedness, and far-sightedness, which reduces or eliminates the need for readers and bifocals. Additionally, it stops the future development of cataracts, eliminating the need for cataract surgery down the road!
Our staff of highly qualified medical professionals and board-certified surgeons is committed to making sure your time with us is relaxing, enjoyable, and, most importantly, life-changing. Presbyopia and age-related vision loss can now be successfully treated thanks to advances in vision correction technology during the past 25 years.
We at 43Vision are dedicated to advancing with technology at all times. We consistently make investments in the most up-to-date, reliable technologies that will help our patients improve visual acuity and gain freedom from glasses or contacts. We offer blended LASIK as well as Custom Lens Replacement in order to give our patients the best vision correction procedure for their unique needs. To find out what procedure is best for your vision needs, call our office today to schedule a comprehensive eye examination and get on your way to clearer vision.
