Why are my older eyes beginning to deteriorate?

Like most parts of our body, older eyes suffer from deterioration. As much as we would all love to stay young and healthy forever, we’re competing with time and our bodies.

As we age, many of us will experience Presbyopia. This is the condition which causes your eyes to deteriorate. Presbyopia is a common vision condition.

While it is extremely common, there are many ways to help prevent it, or combat it. Learn more about Presbyopia, and how to keep your older eyes in good health, below.

What is Presbyopia?

Presbyopia is a normal vision condition you will likely experience as you grow older. It is when your eyes begin to lose their flexibility and focus. Older eyes can find it difficult to read or focus on close objects clearly. This is often due to Presbyopia.

Some other symptoms or signs of this condition include:

• Struggling to read in low light
• Blurred vision at a normal reading distance
• Headaches after reading for a long period of time
• Struggling to read fine print

Read more symptoms of Presbyopia from Good Vision for Life here.

In most people, Presbyopia usually starts occurring at about 40 years old, and begins to worsen around age 65. Despite ongoing research, Presbyopia is a natural part of ageing and there is no known way to totally avoid it.

However, there are ways to maintain good eye health and prolong the effects of Presbyopia in older eyes.

How can I maintain good eye health?

Maintaining good eye health will help battle some of the effects of Presbyopia. And good eye health comes down to several things. Some of these include:

• Eating a balanced diet: As with most health concerns, eating a balanced diet can increase your eye health.
• Getting a good night’s sleep: We’re pretty sure we don’t need to stress the importance of a good night’s sleep to you. Sleep gives your older eyes time to rest and relax. Learn more about how many hours of sleep you should be aiming for
• Wear sunglasses when outside: UV rays from the sun can permanently damage your eyes, leading to more vision problems. Ensuring you wear sunglasses outside – especially during harsh Aussie summers – will help protect your eyes from harmful UV rays.
• Avoid staring at a screen all day: Many of us work with technology all day and find ourselves staring at a screen for hours on end. Unfortunately, the blue light from computer, phone and tablet screens affect eyesight and work to deteriorate older eyes. Minimising your time in front of a screen or opting for blue-light glasses can ensure your eyes stay in excellent condition.

You can learn more ways to increase your eye health in our blog here.

While Presbyopia is difficult to avoid, maintaining good eye health will prolong deterioration in older eyes.

I’ve noticed my older eyes are beginning to struggle. What should I do?

Whenever you notice symptoms of Presbyopia, or feel your older eyes beginning to wear, book an appointment with us.

While Presbyopia cannot be avoided, it can be treated with the correct glasses or contacts.

Our optometrist, Adam, understands the effects of Presbyopia and the needs for those with older eyes.

If you’re beginning to feel the strain on your older eyes, book an appointment or contact our friendly team today!