The Aging Eye: Preventing and Treating Eye Disease

Like the rest of your body, your eyes naturally change throughout your life. These changes occur gradually and become apparent in later years, as the structures in and around your eyes become less efficient. For most people, the first sign is presbyopia, deterioration of close-up vision. Luckily, this problem can be treated with reading glasses or bifocals.

However, more serious age-related eye problems can cause vision loss or visual distortion that glasses can't fix. Almost 1 million Americans older than 40 are considered legally blind, and another 2.4 million have significantly reduced vision. The risk of developing vision problems increases as you get older, especially after age 65. One dramatic example: People ages 80 or older make up about 8% of the U.S. population, but account for 69% of people who are blind.

Ask people which of their senses they're most afraid of losing, and chances are most will say their eyesight. Yet many people are not conscientious about caring for their eyes and often neglect to visit an ophthalmologist for a routine eye exam as they get older.

The National Eye Institute created a series of photos to demonstrate how different eye problems affect vision. The above photo shows how a person with normal vision would see those two young boys while standing 20 feet away from them. Later on in this report, you'll find examples of how people with cataract, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration would see the same boys. Photograph courtesy of the National Eye Institute.

This report focuses on four disorders that pose the greatest threats to vision after age 40: cataract, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy. It will help you determine your risk of developing these disorders, describe their symptoms, and discuss diagnosis and treatment. This report also describes other common eye disorders, including presbyopia, dry eye, floaters and flashes, retinal detachment, and eyelid problems such as drooping upper or lower lids.

It is possible to prevent many age-related eye problems. In this report, you'll learn why you should have regular eye exams, especially if you have diabetes or a family history of glaucoma; how to recognize the risk factors and symptoms of specific eye diseases; and what steps you can take to prevent or treat them before your vision deteriorates further. For example, if you have diabetes, it's important to keep your blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and cholesterol levels under control to avoid losing your vision to diabetic retinopathy. Or if you have early signs of age-related macular degeneration, talk with your doctor about whether to take vitamin and zinc supplements. This report also provides specific information about what you can do to protect your eyes — and your vision.