Eye Exams for Seniors
Eye Health Information for Adults Over 65.
Eye Exams Become More Important with Age
Your vision is going to change over time. This is why routine eye exams with an eye doctor are vital for maintaining healthy vision in your later years.
The following is what to look for and consider as you get older.
Some Eye Disease Are Devoid of Symptoms
Presbyopia starts in mid-life with clear-cut symptoms. However, more serious eye diseases, such as glaucoma, can steal vision without discernible symptoms.
Eye doctors look for elusive changes to your vision throughout routine eye exams. They can see signs of glaucoma or other sight-threatening eye disease prior to it getting too late.
Loss Of Contrast Sensitivity Is Elusive
Even those that see well and are without age-associated eye disease may have vision changes that might not be noticeable. As we get older, it can be difficult to distinguish objects from their background when they are close to the same color. This could occur when a white coffee cup is placed on a white table. This is referred to as loss of contrast sensitivity. This is going to complicate day-to-day activities. It also increases the risk of falls or vehicle accidents.
A mild decrease is normal as we get older. However, loss of contrast sensitivity can be a symptom of more severe eye disease such as cataract or age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Eye Charts Do Not Measure Contrast Sensitivity
Eye charts measure visual clarity by testing to what degree you read letters (placed in high contrast black against a white background) at a distance. Whereas a good measure of visual clarity, the eye chart is not going to test for contrast sensitivity, a vital part of good vision. You can have great visual acuity with weak contrast sensitivity.
Eyes That Have a Difficult Time Adjusting to Changing Light
For those that are older, the capability to see well in various lighting could change. When going from a well-lighted area to one with less-than-ideal light (or vice versa), your eyes might take longer to focus and adjust, or they don’t adjust ideally.
Driving At Night Could Become More Difficult
Issues adjusting to light and dark could make driving more difficult, particularly at night or in a rainstorm. Driving can be even more difficult when eye disorders:
- impact your peripheral (side) vision, or
- raise your susceptibility to glare.
The NHTSA Recommends the Following Safety Measures for Senior Drivers:
- Take a driving course designed particularly for seniors.
- Drive throughout daylight hours.
- Decrease speed.
- Be extra careful at intersections.
Other Tips for Safer Driving:
- Keep your windshield clean inside as well as and out.
- Be sure your glasses are not scratched or dirty.
- Keep your glasses or contact lens prescription current with routine eye exams.
- Use night-driving glasses if you suffer from light sensitivity when you drive at night.
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