As you get into your 40s and 50s, you start entering an age where you need to take a little more care of yourself. Unfortunately, unless your name is Peter Pan, you can’t stay young forever! Getting older will begin to take its toll on your body in many ways. Your eyesight is just one body function that will start to deteriorate with age.
In this blog post, we’re going to focus on common problems with eyesight that occur in your 40s and 50s. We’ll focus on what you can do to protect the well-being of your eyesight and prevent ailments.
What to Expect
As you start to get into your 40s and 50s, you will notice a number of things that start to change with your eyes. First of all, people of this age will start to notice that they can’t focus as quickly or as accurately as they once could. Reading a menu at a restaurant or text messages on your phone becomes difficult. This condition is known as presbyopia and it is caused by the hardening of the eyes’ lenses. Presbyopia will result in difficulty to read or do work that requires accurate focus.
Moreover, you might also notice that you can’t focus as well at either long or short distances. This is known as either nearsightedness or farsightedness. When you can’t see distances clearly, driving becomes dangerous. It can become challenging to read road signs and see faces farther away.
As you start to enter your 50s, you will also have an increased risk of age-related eye diseases. This includes things like glaucoma, macular degeneration, and cataracts. These problems can lead to severe eyesight issues if they are not taken care of immediately. In some cases, genetics play a role in getting these diseases. Often, your lifestyle and diet impact your chances of developing one.
When you get older, you’re more at risk of other health issues such as diabetes or hypertension. These can have some very negative effects on your vision and, in some rare cases, can cause blindness. Any disease that affects your cardiovascular system will affect your eyes. The eyes rely on tons of tiny blood vessels to transmit blood to and from the optic nerve. Simply having high or low blood pressure can impact your ability to see.
Therefore, it’s very important that you monitor your health regularly. Ensure that you’re not developing health issues such as those described above. Notice if your vision changes or becomes strained. Squinting is a sure sign that your vision is declining. Prevention is always better than a cure. So, it’s vitally important that you prevent any illnesses or diseases in the first instance.
Importance of Eye Tests
It’s important throughout your life to have regular checks on your eyesight. As you enter this part of your life, these checks become ever more important. Follow your eye doctor’s guidance. If they suggest more frequent checks, go more frequently. And, if you start to notice a decline in your ability to focus or see clearly, make sure you have an eye test right away.
How to Correct Vision Problems
If you are suffering from farsightedness, you can try eye vitamins. Vitamins for eye health specifically help increase the power of your focusing ability.
Again, nearsightedness can also be helped with eye vitamins.
Finally, there are also specific vitamins that will help you with presbyopia.
Learn about the various eye exercises that can improve your vision. Your eye muscles are like any other muscle in the body. If you don’t use them, you lose them. Doing quick and easy eye exercises can keep them in shape. Start by focusing on an object five feet away for 10 seconds. Then, an object 10 feet away. Continue focusing on objects farther and farther away. This will strengthen the eye muscles used to focus your lens on distant objects.
Eating a Healthy Diet
There is nothing that will completely stop the aging process and the degeneration of your vision. Some genetics are predisposed to have certain diseases and conditions. But, a healthy diet will help to slow the progression down. Healthy eating will not only help to keep you in good health, but it will help with your vision. The eyes depend on various nutrients to function optimally. These nutrients can be found in many different foods.
Protecting Your Eyes in Your 40s and 50s
As you can see, it’s important that you take good care of yourself and your eyesight as you age. As a rule, it’s always more important to prevent problems from occurring in the first instance. This mantra also applies to your eyesight.
Enjoy a healthy and balanced diet. Take eye vitamins on a regular basis. Practice eye exercises every day to strengthen your eye muscles. Don’t assume that corrective lenses and surgery are your only options. These natural solutions will allow you to enjoy clear vision for much longer.
This post originally appeared on Rebuild Your Vision.
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