Why It" s Important To Care For Your Eyes

Visual problems often become more common as we grow older, and we should learn to take preventative measures to combat them and recognize their symptoms. They can include the following:

Blind spots (scotomas) These are areas in our field of vision where it is impossible to see anything.

Blurred vision This involves problems with seeing small details and the loss of visual sharpness.

Visual problems should never be ignored because they can grow worse and have a serious impact on your quality of life. They may be symptomatic of aging, an injury to the eye, a serious eye condition, or an illness that can affect your vision, such as diabetes. (In the latter case, your primary care doctor should also be involved in your treatment.) When you decide to se a medical professional, keep the following in mind:

An optician dispenses eyeglasses and does not diagnose vision problems.

An optometrist performs eye examinations and may make a diagnosis based on the results of those tests. In some states, this professional may also treat diseases of the eye.

An ophthalmologist is a physician who both diagnoses and treats diseases of the eye.
Vision problems that may come up as we age.

Changes in our vision and the various symptoms related to them listed above can be caused by a wide range of factors: They include:

Nearsightedness (or presbyopia) This is indicated by problems in seeing objects that are close at hand clearly. It is often experienced by people in their early or mid 40s.

Glaucoma - This is indicated by poor night vision, scotomas, and loss of peripheral vision. It can lead to blindness, and may be either gradual or sudden.

Cataract This is indicated by halos around lights and cloudiness above the lens of the eye. It is very common in the elderly, who often become sensitive to glare, and both their daytime and nighttime vision may be affected.

Macular degeneration This is indicated by blurred vision, distorted vision, and poor central vision. It is also the most frequent cause of blindness in people age 60 and above.

Diabetic retinopathy This condition is indicated by bleeding in the retina, and it can also result in blindness.

Floaters These minute particles that drift over the eye may be harmless and brief, but they may also indicate that the retina has become detached.

Detached retina Some symptoms include flashes of light over your field of vision, floaters, or the sensation that something is blocking one side of your field of vision.

Any eye inflammation, infection, or injury.

Optic neuritis This condition exists when the optic nerve becomes inflamed from multiple sclerosis or some type of infection.

Temporal arteritis This results when the artery in the brain supplying blood to the optic nerve becomes inflamed.

Migraines Zigzag patterns, halos, or scotomas often indicate the onset of a migraine headache, and the same symptoms are present with an ophthalmic migraine, minus the headache.

Some medications - Antihistamines, certain high blood-pressure pills, and others.

As a preventive measure, wear sunglasses, give up smoking, limit the amount of alcohol you consume, control your cholesterol level, blood sugar and blood pressure, and eat green, leafy vegetables and other foods containing antioxidants.