Vision is a gift we often take for granted until it’s threatened or gone, but our eyes have always been a critical part of our overall health and wellness. In addition to issues related to sight, our eyes can relay a wealth of medical information including the presence of diabetes, stress, allergies, liver problems and other concerns. Your eyes may even indicate that you have high cholesterol or hypertension—they’re a pretty amazing part of human biology!
Knowing this, it’s important to stay on top of your eye health as you age. Here’s everything you need to know about your eye health, including how often seniors should see their eye doctor.
Don’t skip out on the eye doctor
Even if your vision seems healthy and you don’t have any obvious issues with your eyes, it’s important to see your optometrist on a regular basis. This is typically once per year unless additional care is recommended or required. In addition to testing your near and far vision, your eye doctor will likely screen you for the following conditions:
- Presbyopia: When you lose the ability to focus on close objects as you age. This common condition can also lead to headaches, blurred visions and sore eyes, among other symptoms.
- Cataracts: A common issue wherein the lens of the eye gets cloudy and distorted, making it difficult to see clearly. This can typically be resolved with surgery. Sometimes, changes to your prescription glasses will help.
- Diabetic Retinopathy: A weakening and/or swelling of very small blood vessels in the retina, plus the growth of new blood vessels resulting in issues such as blood leakage. If untreated, diabetic retinopathy can result in low vision or blindness.
- Macular Degeneration: This disease results in degenerative changes to your central vision and is a leading cause of vision loss among seniors. Those with thyroid issues may be at increased risk of developing macular degeneration.
- Glaucoma: Often left undetected until significant damage has occurred, it’s important to be screened for glaucoma as it can lead to serious vision loss if not treated at an early stage. Glaucoma is thought to be caused by elevated pressure in the eye (something your optometrist can test for in minutes).
While this seems like a long list of boxes to check, a trip to the optometrist can be pretty efficient—so, make that appointment and invest in your eye health! It’s well worth the effort.
Your eye health matters—so take care
While many eye conditions are genetic, there are simple behavioural strategies we can all use to avoid unnecessary damage to our eyes and encourage good overall health. This includes eating well and exercising, limiting exposure to blue light (for example, your phone or computer screen) and wearing sunglasses while outdoors. If you smoke, here’s another great reason to quit—cigarette use increases your risk of macular degeneration, cataracts and damage to the optic nerve (not to mention respiratory issues, cancer and other potential consequences of smoking).
In addition to getting an annual eye exam, we recommend speaking to your family doctor or optometrist about any concerns relating to your vision or the health of your eyes. If you’re 65 or older, OHIP will cover the cost of your annual optometrist visit as well as some specialized ophthalmology services. You can visit this link for additional details or speak to your healthcare provider. Thanks for reading and remember to take good care of those eyes! You’ll be so glad you did.