As your age your vision changes. You may or may not notice these changes depending on how significant they are.
Annual eye exams are important throughout your life. These exams allow your doctor to detect changes in the front of your eye so changes can be made to your eyeglass or contact lens prescription. In addition, these exams allow your doctor to look at the back of your eye, the retina, to check that it is healthy and not damaged or showing signs of disease. Many eye diseases, if detected early, can be treated successfully without total vision loss.
Annual exams become much more important as you age. In fact as you age you should actually contact your doctor anytime there is a change in your vision.
Here are some common eye health issues to look out for as you age:
- Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Symptoms include perceived distortion of straight lines.
- Cataracts: Clouding of the lens leads to blurred vision.
- Glaucoma: Excess buildup of pressure in the eye, which can lead to blindness.
- Ocular Hypertension: A precursor to glaucoma.