Why Does Our Vision Get Worse as We Age?

The Effects of Aging on Eyesight

As we age, the cells in our body lose their ability to regenerate. In the eye, the lens becomes less elastic and loses its ability to change shape. This condition is called Presbyopia. It is more noticeable when we try to look at things that are close up because the Ciliary muscle must contract to make the lens thicker. The loss of lens elasticity and weakening of the Ciliary muscle prevents the lens from changing shape to become thicker.

This condition results in losing the ability to focus clearly on close objects. Those experiencing this condition are forced to hold things farther away from their eyes in order to see them in focus. In many people this becomes noticeable around the mid-forties in age. Eventually, as the lens becomes less able to move, it becomes more or less permanently focused at a fixed distance, which is different for each person.

Common Conditions that Affect The Quality of Vision

Nearsightedness or Myopia is a condition where a person is able to see near objects well but has difficulty seeing objects that are far away. This is because the lens is focusing light rays in front of the retina verses on the retina. It is caused by a lens system that is focusing the eye with too much power or an eyeball that is too long. Nearsightedness can be corrected by using less lens power to focus light.

Farsightedness or Hyperopia is a condition where a person is able to see distant objects well and has difficulty seeing objects that are near. This is because the lens is focusing light rays behind the retina verses on the retina. It is caused by a lens system that is focusing the eye with too little focusing power, or by an eyeball that is too short. Farsightedness can be corrected by using more lens power to focus light.

Eye Diseases

The following eye diseases that affect vision are common as we age.

Astigmatism is an uneven curvature of the cornea which causes a distortion in vision. The lens is shaped to correct the unevenness in order to see properly.

Cataracts are a cloudiness in the lens that blocks light from reaching the retina. This becomes more common as we age. As cataracts worsen, they require surgery to replace the lens.

Glaucoma is a condition where the eye fluid or aqueous humor does not drain out of the eye properly which results in pressure building up in the eye. The pressure causes the cells and nerve fibers in the back of the eye to die. The treatment is medication and/or surgery.

Diabetic Retinopathy: Usually those with diabetes are more likely to have blockage of blood vessels or leakage of blood vessels that can cause scarring that leads to blindness. This can be treated with laser surgery.

Macular Degeneration As some people age, the macula which is responsible for fine detail in the center of vision, can deteriorate for unknown reasons. This condition causes loss of central vision and can sometimes be helped with laser surgery.

There are many causes of blindness; vitamin A deficiency, toxins, infections, strokes, neurological diseases, and hereditary diseases.

There is overwhelming evidence that vision therapy can overcome the effects of aging to improve eyesight.

Under Articles, also see:

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