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As you age, your eyesight naturally deteriorates. This is a natural process that affects everyone. This is challenging to deal with, especially if you have an active lifestyle.
However, there are some common eye conditions after age 50 that you should know about. This helps you stay on top of your eye health.
This article will go over some of the most common eye conditions after age 50 and explain how to deal with them.
How Does Aging Affect Your Eyes?
Before you get same day prescription glasses, you must understand how aging affects your eyes.
The eye’s aging process involves many things, including a decrease in visual acuity. This means that your eyesight will worsen. So, you may eventually need glasses to correct it.
There are also some changes to the color and structure of your eye during this process. For example, the lens of your eye becomes more yellow with age due to pigmentation changes.
Common Eye Conditions Among People Aged 50
These are some of the most common eye conditions among people aged 50:
CATARACTS
The lens of your eye becomes cloudy and less transparent with age. This is a prevalent condition that can affect both men and women as they get older. Cataracts may cause blurred vision, glare, halos, or multiple images around lights. They can also affect contrast sensitivity and color perception.
GLAUCOMA
Glaucoma causes damage to the optic nerve. This nerve transmits information from your retina to your brain. This loss of vision can occur without symptoms. Anyone with glaucoma may experience headaches and blurred vision in one eye. This is before it gets worse in both eyes.
AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a disease that damages the retina. AMD usually develops slowly over time and can lead to vision loss. The most common form of AMD involves breakdowns in the central portion of your retina. This type of AMD causes blurry or distorted vision in late adulthood.
DIABETES-RELATED RETINOPATHY
Diabetes-related retinopathy can damage your retina’s blood vessels. This causes them to swell and leak fluid. It’s the most common cause of vision loss among people with diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy usually develops slowly over time and affects both eyes.
RETINAL DETACHMENT
This occurs when the tissue at the retina pulls away from its attachment to the blood vessels. This condition can cause sudden, partial, or complete loss of vision. A retinal detachment may be caused by trauma to your eye. This can be a blow from an object or being hit in the face with something hard.
CONJUNCTIVITIS
People aged 50 or older are at an increased risk of developing conjunctivitis. This is also called pink eye. Pink eye is an inflammation of the thin tissue that lines the eyelids. This covers your eyeball’s white part (sclera). It’s usually caused by a bacterial or viral infection and can be spread through contact with someone who has it.
CORNEAL DISEASES
Corneal diseases are a group of disorders that affect the cornea, the clear covering of your eye. An injury or trauma to the eye, an infection, or an autoimmune disease can cause corneal diseases. The most common corneal disease is keratoconus. This causes thinning and distortion of the cornea.
EYELID PROBLEMS
Seniors above 50 often experience problems with their eyelids. This is especially true if they’re overweight. The lower lid is the most common problem. It can become inflamed or infected, which can cause it to droop so much that you can’t see clearly out of your eyes. If left untreated, this condition can lead to ulcers on your cornea.
TEMPORAL ARTERITIS
Temporal arteritis is a condition that affects the blood vessels. This is especially true for the scalp, face, and eyes vessels. It’s caused by inflammation of the arteries that supply blood to your head. When you have this condition, tiny little cholesterol deposits called emboli form. These can block these arteries and cause headaches and eye pain.
PRESBYOPIA
Presbyopia is a condition that affects your ability to focus on close objects. It happens when the lens of your eye loses its flexibility and can no longer be moved back and forth. Presbyopia usually occurs in people who are between 40 and 60 years old.
FLOATERS AND FLASHERS
Floaters are small, irregularly shaped particles that float around inside your eye. They can be a normal part of aging but may also indicate a problem with your retina or vitreous gel. Flashers are flashes of light in your field of vision that appear and vanish.
Conclusion
Common eye conditions after age 50 can cause vision loss. But they can be treated with surgery, medications, and lifestyle changes. Individuals over 50 need regular eye exams to detect and treat these conditions early on.