Eye Care for Seniors: 5 Tips for Maintaining Good Vision as You Age

Your vision and eye care challenges will inevitably change as you get older. This isn’t something to be afraid of; however, you should be mindful of these changes. Educating yourself on senior eye care will help you make the right decisions moving forward. 

Clearview Vision Institute is here for you every step of the way. With proper eye care and a few lifestyle adjustments, you can protect your vision and eye health for many more decades to come.

Eating a healthy diet, wearing sunglasses, and scheduling regular eye examination appointments are just a few of the straightforward, achievable steps you can take to maintain good vision as you age. Continue reading to learn more.

How to Care for Your Vision as You Age

1. Protect your eyes from the sun

Getting enough sunlight is crucial for our physical and mental health. However, too much can damage your eyes, threatening your vision and health as you age. The UV radiation found in sunlight takes a heavy toll on your eyes, especially if you’re chronically exposed to direct sunlight.

Prolonged exposure to UV rays can lead to cataract formation, growths in the eyes (such as pterygium), worsening eyesight, macular degeneration, and cancers. It damages the eye’s surface tissues, cornea, lens, and even your retina.

Therefore, protecting your eyes from the dangers of UV light is vital. You should wear proper eye protection, such as sunglasses that provide 100% UV or UV400 protection. We also recommend wearing a broad-brimmed hat along with your sunglasses, since this will help shield you from the sun’s harsh rays.

If you wear prescription eyeglasses, consider investing in a pair of prescription sunglasses. That way, you don’t have to choose between seeing clearly and protecting your eyes from the sun.

Remember, clouds don’t block UV light. Radiation passes through haze and clouds, meaning your vision is at risk even on cloudy days.

2. Eat a nutritious diet

Consuming a healthy, nutritious diet is crucial for your overall health, including the health of your eyes and for preserving your vision. Certain types of foods are particularly good for your eyesight.

For example, you can fend off age-related vision problems like macular degeneration and cataracts by incorporating more omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, antioxidants, and zinc into your diet.

Vitamins A, C, and E are also very beneficial. Your retina needs vitamin A to transform light rays into the images we see. Orange-coloured vegetables and fruits are naturally high in vitamin A, like carrots, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, and apricots. You’ve probably heard that carrots are good for your eyes—and this is why!

Leafy green vegetables, such as kale and spinach, are rich in the nutrients lutein and zeaxanthin. These are key to protecting the macula, the part of the eye responsible for detailed vision. Broccoli, peas, collards, and eggs are some other sources of these vital nutrients.

To add a boost of zinc to your diet, focus on legumes. Black-eyed peas, kidney beans, and lima beans are high in zinc, which is essential for retina health.

3. Exercise consistently

Yes, even exercise is beneficial for your eyesight! Maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle as you age will help you thrive in all areas of your life. Regular exercise improves blood circulation.

Improved blood flow increases the amount of oxygen circulating through your body, which can improve the quality of your vision. Exercise also helps prevent health conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure, both of which can lead to eye problems. 

4. Make your home vision-friendly

As you age, you will (eventually) have to make some adjustments to your home to continue living comfortably and safely. A few of those first changes should be to support your changing vision.

Avoiding eye strain is critical for maintaining good vision into your senior years. While low-mood lighting is great for a romantic dinner every now and again, it should not be your home’s default light setting. This is guaranteed to strain your eyes over time.

Instead, ensure your home is well-lit, especially in areas used for reading, hobbies, or other detail-oriented tasks. You should be able to see clearly and focus easily without straining your eyes. Aging eyes also require more light to see clearly, so you may want to upgrade the lighting in your home.

That being said, you should minimize the amount of harsh light and glare in your home. Both can damage your eyes over time. We recommend switching to window treatments that diffuse bright sunlight to protect your vision.

5. Schedule regular eye exams

Regular eye exams are extremely important for seniors because the risk of developing eye diseases increases with age. Furthermore, many conditions, such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and diabetic retinopathy, show no symptoms in their early stages.

However, eye care professionals can detect these conditions early during routine exams. Early treatment is crucial for preventing vision loss. 

Annual appointments also provide an opportunity to monitor your vision. It’s normal for your vision to change as you age, although complete vision loss is not a normal part of aging. If your vision is deteriorating more than is normal or healthy, an eye exam will reveal this. Then, we can intervene to ensure your vision doesn’t get any worse.

During your eye exam, we determine if you need prescription eyeglasses or if your current prescription requires strengthening. Prescription eyewear is vital for preventing eye strain and helping you navigate the world around you.

These appointments are also a great opportunity to discuss eye vision correction treatments. If you’re tired of wearing glasses (or want to avoid wearing them altogether), a procedure like laser eye surgery is a highly effective and safe option for seniors.

Age-Related Eye and Vision Changes

• Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD): AMD is an eye disease that causes central vision loss. It affects the macula—the central part of the retina responsible for clear vision in your direct line of sight.
• Cataracts: Cataracts are primarily caused by aging (although other health factors like diabetes and smoking can also play a role). This condition is when the lens of the eye becomes cloudy, leading to decreased vision.
• Diabetic Retinopathy: Diabetes can damage the tiny blood vessels that nourish the retina, resulting in retinal tissue swelling and clouded vision. The most severe cases can lead to blindness.
• Dry eye is a common problem for seniors. When the eye becomes too dry due to insufficient or poor-quality tears, vision worsens.
• Glaucoma: Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions characterized by damage to the optic nerve. This causes a loss in peripheral (side) vision and, if untreated, can lead to total blindness.
• Presbyopia: This is a natural part of the aging process. In your early to mid-40s, you will likely struggle more to focus on close objects, like small print. Presbyopia occurs due to the hardening of the lens inside the eye.

Laser Eye Surgery for Seniors in Toronto

Clearview Vision Institute is a world-class provider of LASIK and laser eye surgery. We design personalized vision correction plans for our patients, ensuring you receive the best possible care for your specific needs. With our knowledgeable staff and state-of-the-art procedure suites, we proudly offer the best vision care in Toronto.

Furthermore, we specialize in eye care for seniors. At Clearview Vision Institute, we are happy to provide laser eye surgery, dry eye treatment, and laser cataract surgery to our older patients.

To request more information on laser eye surgery, call Clearview Vision Institute today at 647-493-6371 or contact us here.