Preserving Vision: The Importance of Caring for Aging Eyes
The health of our eyes is just as important as our overall health, especially as we age. Healthy Aging Month revolves around spreading awareness about the changes that happen with aging and learning ways to keep your body and aging eyes healthy. As you likely already know, our eyes change as we age and usually change for the worse. It is common for our vision to worsen over time. That said, if we take excellent care of our eyes, we can keep them healthy as the years go on. Even though we can’t prevent most age-related eye issues, there are many things we can do to keep our eyes healthy over our lifetimes.
The EyeDoctors Optometrists in Kansas want to take time this Healthy Aging Month to talk to you about aging eyes and what we can do to keep them healthy. But first, it’s important to understand what issues we might encounter.
What are Some Age-Related Eye Issues?
Here are some common age-related eye concerns:
Cataracts
Cataracts are the clouding of the eye lens. Cataracts can diminish your vision, making it blurry and hard to see. Cataracts are more often seen in older adults and grow over time. They are so prevalent that they affect 24.4 million Americans age 40 and older. The only way to thoroughly remove cataracts is to remove them surgically. Taking care of cataract issues early on can help prevent them from worsening.
Dry Eyes
Dry eyes occur more often and frequently as you age. With dry eyes, you’ll suffer from irritation and discomfort. On top of that, dry eyes can lead to itching, burning, or blurry vision.
Presbyopia
With Presbyopia, you have trouble seeing items up close. With this condition, you might have difficulty reading or looking at your phone. Presbyopia is more common in people in their 40s or 50s. Presbyopia affects roughly 83% to 89% of American adults. As we age, losing nearsighted vision becomes more likely.
Macular Degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) affects the macula. It is the part of the retina you need for your central vision. AMD can worsen your vision, causing things to appear blurry and unclear. It’s the part of the eye that we rely on to read and see details. Age-related macular degeneration is a leading cause of vision loss for people over 50. AMD won’t cause blindness, but it is irreversible if left untreated for too long.
Keeping Your Aging Eyes Healthy
What do you need to do to keep your eyes healthy?
Practice Healthy Eating
We recommend eating foods full of antioxidants, vitamins A, C, and E, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids. These types of foods can help you improve your eye health. Leafy greens, fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, and seeds are great for our eyes. Not only can eating a healthy diet help your eye health, but it’s also good for your health. Your eyes will benefit from your entire body feeling healthy.
Stay Hydrated
Drinking water and staying hydrated is one of the most important things you can do for your body’s health. Your eyes also benefit in a big way. Dehydration can lead to dry eyes and cause more serious eye issues, such as issues with your cornea. Dry eyes usually cause severe eye discomfort. A good water drinking schedule can go a long way in staying hydrated throughout the day.
Schedule Regular Eye Exams
The best way to keep up with your eye health is by scheduling comprehensive eye exams. We can do nothing about aging eyes and the natural change that occurs. You can stay current on any potential eye issues by visiting an eye doctor regularly. Eye doctors can spot glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, and more during eye exams. We can successfully treat eye problems when caught in the early stages.
UV Ray Protection
Spending a lifetime exposed to ultraviolet rays (UV rays) can damage your eyes, mainly since UV ray exposure accumulates over time. It’s essential to protect your eyes from UV rays as soon as possible if you haven’t already been doing so. The best way to protect your eyes is by wearing sunglasses that block 100% of both UVA and UVB rays. You should also wear hats when you’re outside on very sunny days.
Contact The EyeDoctors Optometrists in Kansas Today
There’s nothing we can do about getting older, but there are some things we can do about aging eyes and eye diseases. By focusing on your eye health, you can do so many things to keep your eyes as healthy as possible as they age. Prioritizing eye exams and eye care, you’ll certainly live a life with healthier vision.
Our team at The EyeDoctors Optometrists has everything you need to keep your eyes healthy. No matter where you are in Kansas, quality eye care and comprehensive eye exams are never far away! Call or click today if you want to learn more about the goal of Healthy Aging Month. Reach out to schedule an appointment at The EyeDoctors Optometrists!