Age-related change in vision is an inevitability that can be delayed

2023 Author: Alfred Shackley | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 13:14

Years are wealth, but this "treasure" does not pass without leaving a trace for the state of human health. The entire body is exposed to it, and age-related changes in vision is one of the phenomena that few people manage to avoid.

Nevertheless, when leading a healthy lifestyle, implementing preventive measures, this phenomenon can be encountered later than years will wish. Even if it has overtaken, a number of methods can be used to at least partially correct the situation.

Age problems

There are many diseases that affect visual acuity. Many of them can overcome a person at a young age and even in childhood. But there are a number of ailments that doctors attribute to age-related diseases, since according to medical statistics, with age, the risk that they "attack" increases more and more.

What are these diseases?

• Presbyopia. From about 40 years of age, many people begin to notice that it becomes more difficult for them to recognize the perceived picture when reading, other circumstances in which it is necessary to recognize "pictures" at close range. Deterioration of vision in presbyopia at the beginning of its development can be compensated for by the distance of perceived objects and various kinds of information. However, over time, this method will no longer create the illusion of an improvement in visual ability;
• Cataract. Today this disease is quite common, being one of the most common age-related eye diseases;
• Age-related macular degeneration. This is one of the most common reasons for the decline in visual function seen with age;
• Glaucoma. Today, this ailment, which impairs visual function, is still considered an age-related disease, although it is now rapidly growing younger;
• Diabetic retinopathy. Diabetes mellitus is a scourge of modern society, and residents of developed countries suffer from it on a par with the population of other countries. The eyes are one of the first organs to suffer from this ailment, and this leads to visual impairment.

These are the most popular diseases that impair vision.

Causes of age-related problems

In addition to the fact that they can be caused by internal diseases of the body (as is the case with diabetes mellitus), there are many physiological provoking factors that cause deterioration in visual function.

These reasons are as follows:

• In the age-related deterioration of visual ability, insufficient activity of the eye muscles may be to blame. Over time, the muscles that control the lens weaken, lose their tone, which becomes the cause of the problem;
• Aging of the retina. Its cells contain pigments that are light-sensitive. Thanks to them, we have the ability to see, but over time they are destroyed, and in this regard, the visual function of the eye deteriorates;
• Violation of blood circulation. It plays a huge role in the normal functioning of the retina. If blood circulation is impaired, it does not receive the necessary elements for this, which leads to problems;
• Frequent eye strain. The consequence of this problem is felt with age. Both too bright and too dim light make the eyes strain, and if you regularly force them to do this, you drain the resources of the organs of vision;
• Dry mucous eyes. The membranes are washed by the lacrimal fluid, which at the same time nourishes the eye tissues. If it is not produced in sufficient volume, over time this leads to a weakening of visual function.

In general, due to these reasons, with age, one may encounter the following problems:

• Reduced pupils due to insufficient performance of their functions by the eye muscles;
• Loss of peripheral vision acuity, narrowing of its fields;
• Loss of the ability to correctly perceive colors, contrast images, which is associated with the destruction of light-sensitive cells of the retina;
• Detachment of the vitreous body, manifested in the appearance of "flies", spots, "dancing" images, flashes before the eyes.

What to do?

Do not assume that you just need to accept the peculiarities of age, and not try to resist them. Modern ophthalmology can significantly improve the visual function of the eyes, and therefore the quality of your life.

How to carry out treatment depends on what problem you are faced with, what are its causes. It is better to clarify all these questions together with an optometrist.

Ophthalmologists give a number of recommendations, following which you can improve visual acuity:

• Gymnastics for the eyes will help improve the condition of the eye muscles, restore their functionality, at least partially. It involves shifting your gaze from objects located at a close distance from the organs of vision to objects located at a far distance from them. You can also roll your eyes, look up and down, glancing quickly. These exercises should be done daily to strengthen the eye muscles;
• Introduce eye-friendly foods to your diet that prevent retinal aging. These are meat, fish, carrots, milk, eggs. Proper nutrition also helps to improve blood circulation;
• Avoid reading, working at the computer and using other gadgets while lying down or in motion (for example, in transport). This will reduce eye strain, so that visual function will be preserved for a longer period;
• If you suffer from dry eyes, use artificial tear drops. In addition, according to ophthalmologists, crying helps to cope with this problem;
• Give your eyes as much rest as possible.

The optometrist will give recommendations on how to improve visual acuity, what treatment to apply, based on what kind of ailment you are faced with.

For example, if you have presbyopia, you can choose glasses. They will need to be changed over time as the deterioration in visual function is likely to continue. But there is another option for solving the problem - an operation. Today, this disease is eliminated with laser keratoplasty.

For cataracts, surgical treatment is also appropriate. The modern approach to it allows you to completely restore visual acuity. In addition, such an operation is safe and does not entail complications.

If the cause of the deterioration in the ability to see are diseases of the internal organs, treatment implies, first of all, their elimination. If this is not possible, constant medical monitoring of the course of both the underlying disease and the eye disease is necessary.

In some cases, drug treatment is prescribed, but the selection of its strategy must be entrusted to an ophthalmologist, and there are a huge number of drugs that are used.

With age-related changes in vision, folk remedies are also used to improve it.

Honey drops

To prepare this product, white acacia honey is used, which should not be candied.

1. We prepare a decoction of propolis, taking raw materials in the amount of 1 tsp, and the water in which it should boil for several minutes, in the amount of 1 cup.
2. Combine in equal parts acacia honey, cooled and decanted propolis broth and purified or boiled water, stir the ingredients.
3. Bury the mixture in the eyes three times / day. The duration of the course of treatment is 1 month.

A week after the end of the course of using the product, its use can be repeated. The resulting drops can be stored in the refrigerator, but no longer than 3 days.

Mint juice

Peppermint has long been considered a herb that can restore visual ability to the eyes, relieve them of many diseases.

1. Mint juice can be prepared by boiling 1 tsp. chopped mint in a glass of water.
2. When the mint broth has cooled, it must be drained.
3. We combine mint broth, purified water, liquid honey, taking all these components equally.
4. This remedy should be used twice / day - in the morning and in the evening, instilling the medicine in the amount of 2 drops in each eye.

After a month of such treatment, you need to take a break for a week, and then, if necessary, the course can be repeated.

Prophylaxis

How to keep your visual ability as long as possible?

The following advice from ophthalmologists will help:

• A correct lifestyle is one of the conditions for maintaining vision. This primarily concerns proper nutrition and giving up bad habits;
• Do not strain your eyes. They should be comfortable, and normal lighting, restrictions on watching TV, spending time at the computer will help;
• Let your eyes and your body rest;
• Do eye gymnastics - it works both as a treatment and prevention, delaying visual impairment.

Years may not gain absolute power over us, without affecting our visual acuity, if you take preventive measures and treat your eyes as soon as the first signs of problems appear.