Eye Problems You Need to Be Aware of as You Get Older

As you get older, you expect certain physical changes. In fact, you might have already been prepped for a harder time reading everything from menus to texts. But age-related farsightedness is far from the only condition that can affect your eyes over the years. 

Here at our Benjamin Optical offices throughout New York City, our team can help to prevent or treat a broad range of age-related eye problems, including macular degeneration, glaucoma, and cataracts.

To help you keep an eye out for potential eye problems as you get older, we also built this quick overview of some of the most common eye issues that crop up over the years. 

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness throughout the world and the top cause for Americans over 60. Glaucoma encompasses a number of different eye conditions, all of which affect the optic nerve. Warning signs of glaucoma include:

• Loss of vision at your periphery
• Eye pain
• Vision that’s suddenly blurry
• Unusual pupil dilation
• Rings around lights

If caught early, our team at Benjamin Optical can help to slow glaucoma’s development, protecting your vision through the years. 

Dry eyes

As you get older, your eyes may stop producing sufficient tears. In fact, dry eye disease is much more common in people over 50. 

Dry eyes don’t just make your eyes itchy and uncomfortable; they can also cause vision problems. Fortunately, our team at Benjamin Optical has a variety of treatment options we can explore with you to help support healthy lubrication levels in your eyes. 

Cataracts

Cataracts develop when the lens at the front of your eye gets clouded, leaving you with blurry vision. In their early phases, we can often help you manage cataracts with prescription lenses and simple modifications, like brighter light when you read. 

If your cataracts develop to the point where they interfere with your quality of life, we can also explore removing and replacing them with artificial lenses. This will help you see significantly more clearly. 

Macular degeneration

The most common type of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) occurs when the cells in your macula, the central part of your retina, break down. Symptoms include:

• Blurry vision
• A darker area in the center of your vision
• Differences in colors

ARMD usually develops slowly, but it’s worth catching early. While we offer treatment like photodynamic therapy and eye injections to stop ARMD’s progress, we can’t undo any vision damage it has already caused. 

Ultimately, there are quite a few conditions that can affect your vision as you get older. If you notice any vision changes, don’t hesitate to visit any of our Benjamin Optical offices. Our team can diagnose what’s affecting your vision and offer treatment to protect your ability to see clearly through the years. 

For the eye care you need as you get older, call any of our offices for an appointment or book one online today.