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Senior Eye Health

What is so important about adult eye education?
The first quarters of humans’ lives are spent building, growing, and preparing to maintain healthy functions of the body. In the later years of adult life the human body begins to create opposing results. As we age, many of our bodies’ systems begin to slow and even deteriorate. This is a natural process that is unavoidable, but many of the health related complications that hinder our activity and involvement in life are unnecessary and preventable. It is certain that in advanced stages of life we will not be able to do absolutely everything at the rate at which we once could, or even with as much ease, but there is no reason for significant problems to interrupt daily activities. By taking proper precautions and making healthy decisions in all areas of life, many of the age related health problem humans face can be prevented or treated if planned for or detected early.

What can be done?
One key factor in early detection and prevention is to get frequent physicals and check ups for all areas of the body to maintain overall health and well being. After the age of fifty, it is highly recommended that at the very least annual physicals are scheduled. Seventy year olds and above should seek medical attention more frequently than even once a year, just to keep up on and be aware of the changes in the body.

Pertaining directly to eyesight and vision systems, don’t forget to see an ophthalmologist even if you’ve never required glasses or contacts. Many people assume that since they have never needed refractive attention that they are merely going through natural visual deterioration such as presbyopia; the disorder that all aging adults acquire where people begin to hold text further away from their eyes in order to focus. Some aging adults simply go to the local drug store and buy generic over-the-counter reading glasses. It is important to note that any significant change in eye function should be checked by a professional, even in the minimalist of cases, to ensure that greater problems are not related to the change in sight capacity.

There are many surgery and treatment options available with today’s advanced technology that can correct and treat many of the age related vision disorders and diseases. Even when these complications arise, there is still hope for obtaining regular vision functions back into everyday life.

Other prevention techniques include maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Exercise and diet are two important factors in overall body health. Believe it or not, diet and physical fitness impact vision systems. The human body is best looked at holistically since everything we do, eat, intake affects other areas of the body that may not even be necessarily connected in the views of the general public. Doctors and researchers are finding out more everyday how complex the network of the human body truly is. In this day and age, we now know that smoking increases the risk for not only lung complications, which was once believed, but that it affects the heart, blood pressure, risk of all types of cancer, etc. Another example of this interconnectivity is the relationship between headaches and footwear. At first thought, it seems ridiculous to think that the shoes people wear may be inducing headaches, but it can be true. The support of pressure points and joints in the feet directly relate to the position of the spine. The human spine is the biggest nerve center in the body, as well as being immediately connected to the neck. When our bodies are misaligned, nerves are pinched and headaches can be a direct result.

All this being said, diet is still has the most impact on total body wellness. Being conscientious of daily diet can definitely help seniors maintain and prevent all complications, including vision, significantly by keeping their overall body health at a closer to optimum state. Avoiding too much fat is a good place to start. Most Americans consume over twice the recommended fat per day. This is possible by reducing consumption of cheese, red meat and fatty substances like butter and grease. It is always a good idea to eat higher levels of fresh and organic foods like fruit, vegetables, and fish to obtain suggested levels of antioxidants, nutrients, vitamins (specifically zinc), etc. Including daily multiple vitamin supplements is often another good idea to give the body what might be lacking in your diet. (It is a good idea to consult a physician before implementing a vitamin regimen). Most Americans’ diets consist of highly processed, highly pasteurized food with high levels of sugars and sodium. The more patients know about how to keep themselves healthy, and what foods can actually be beneficial in helping the body heal and protect itself, the better off they are all around. So, essentially cliché statements such as; “an apple a day”, and that carrots improve eye sight, etc. are rooted in truth.

What specific age related eye complications should I be aware of?
There are several vision disorders and diseases that become more prevalent in advanced age populations, and the risk of acquiring or developing these disorders become much greater the older we get. More specific information is available to your individual situation by consulting an ophthalmologist, but below are links to more information on the most common age related vision problems: