Keeping Your Eyesight Sharp As You Age

Our eyes truly are our windows to the world. But as we age, a number of health conditions can threaten our eyesight.

Glaucoma, macular degeneration, and other problems can creep up on our baby blues, hindering our ability to see the world. But Dr. Erika Schwartz, an aging expert and Newsmax Health contributor, says we can work to keep our eyes healthy by taking the right vitamins and supplements and watching for the warning signs of serious health problems.

�Vision is so important,� Dr. Schwartz says. �We use our vision more than probably any other sense, really.�

That�s why it�s critical to be on the lookout for changes in vision, she says, particularly sudden changes. They could be a sign that you have suffered a stroke or other kind of cardiovascular problem.

�Have an ophthalmologist see you,� she advises. �That needs to be treated immediately. Don�t ignore sudden changes in vision.�

Farsightedness � when we see things that are distant more clearly than we see things that are close by � is far less serious but particularly pervasive among people as they age. Some experts believe certain exercises can delay it, but the medical evidence showing the condition can be prevented isn�t there, she says.

�There�s really no 100 percent way to prevent getting farsighted,� she says. �It�s the way the shape of the eye changes as we get older� that causes it.

Glasses, contact lenses, and corrective surgery are the best treatments available, she says.

Another eye condition that also is less serious than sudden vision changes but still distracting and uncomfortable is dry eyes. This occurs in older people as their bodies produce fewer hormones � estrogen in women and testosterone in men. However, supplementing with bioidentical hormones � manufactured hormones that have molecular structures identical to those of hormones the body produces � can help resolve the problem, she says.

�When you replace or supplement the lacking estrogen and the lacking testosterone, the dry eye corrects itself,� she says.

Glaucoma � a group of serious eye conditions that can lead to blindness � occurs when a build-up of pressure in the eye damages the optic nerve, which carries visual information from eye to brain. Dr. Schwartz says seeing an optometrist or ophthalmologist once a year and having eye pressure measured is critical in ensuring glaucoma is not setting in.

Macular degeneration, or age-related macular degeneration, is the leading cause of blindness in people older than 60, and it affects the macula, which allows us to see fine detail, according to the National Eye Institute. The disease destroys our sharp central vision, inhibiting our ability to read and drive. While treatment can slow vision loss, it does not restore it.

In general, Dr. Schwartz says, �There are a lot of supplements like vitamins (and the antioxidant) lutein that help with eyes and vision. � There may not be a ton of science behind it, but there�s no downside to� taking them.

What�s more, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C, and foods with anti-inflammatory properties can help prevent the development of the inflammatory changes that lead to these eye problems, she says.

Special Links