How To Maintain Healthy Vision As You Age

As we age, our vision naturally declines due to a variety of factors. The amount of vision reduction you experience over time can range from a minor inconvenience to a dangerous lack of vision.

There are physical changes in your eyes caused by aging that will then cause a decline in your vision. These are natural, and there isn’t much of a way to avoid them. But there are also changes caused by habits and diet that increase the rate of vision decline that you should avoid. First, let’s look at natural factors that worsen your vision as you age.

Physical Changes in Eyes That Worsen Vision

  • Lowered production of tears, which can lead to blurry vision and light sensitivity.
  • Less flexibility in the lens, which reduces the ability to transition from near to far focus.
  • The decline in muscle strength controls the dilation of the pupil.
  • Lens discoloration changes the way your eyes process light.

Eye Disorders That Become More Likely With Age

  • Cataracts – These are caused when proteins in your eyes break down due to aging and form cloudy clusters that inhibit vision.
  • Retinal Disorders – Disorders like macular degeneration affect the retina, which is the lining at the back of your eye that send visual information to the brain. Cell loss in the retina causes retinal disorders that impact your vision.
  • Glaucoma – This occurs when the fluid in your eye is out of balance, causing too much pressure on your optic nerve which can damage it to the point of vision loss.

Way To Keep Your Vision Healthy As You Age

  • Avoid Smoking – Smoking increases your chances of vision disorders, which already increase as you age.
  • Wear Sunglasses – Use sunglasses with UV protection whenever necessary so that UV rays won’t harm your eyes.
  • Healthy Diet & Exercise – One of the best ways to reduce vision decline is by eating a healthy diet full of vitamins and minerals that benefit your eyes, and exercising regularly to keep your body in shape.
  • Watch Your Blood Pressure – This goes hand in hand with diet and exercise since high blood pressure puts more pressure on the blood vessels in your eyes which can damage them leading to vision loss.

Fite Eye Center | Maintain Your Eye Health With Our Experts

It isn’t much you can do about the effects that aging has on your eye health and vision. But, you don’t need to speed up the decline with unhealthy habits. Let the experts at Fite Eye Center help you maintain your eye health and vision as long as possible. We can answer your questions, recommend healthy habits, and examine your eyes for any issues.