Vision Loss

One in six adults aged 45 and older is affected by some type of vision problem. And the risk for vision loss increases with age.

Warning signs of vision loss include:

• Needing to squint, tilt your head, or move closer in order to focus when you're reading, watching TV, or driving
• Having trouble recognizing faces or objects
• Having problems finding things in familiar environments
• Hesitating when you reach for objects
• Creating poor color combinations (when you get dressed, for example)
• Finding it difficult to recognize colors
• Having trouble writing
• Needing more light to read or do other tasks
• Bumping into things more frequently
• Finding climbing stairs difficult, or having a tendency to stumble when walking-especially if the ability to walk is not impaired in any other way

Adapted from: American Society on Aging

Vision correction with appropriately selected glasses or contact lenses can help most people with vision problems see better. As we age, we may need to have our prescription for glasses updated, because vision may get worse with age.

Most common forms of vision loss, glaucoma and cataracts can be treated with medications or surgery, and some damage (such as that from glaucoma) may be preventable with appropriate treatment.
Evidence shows that some types of vision loss may be prevented or minimized with lifestyle changes, such as:

• Eating a balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals
• Exercising regularly
• Quitting smoking
• Wearing UV-rated sunglasses to protect your eyes from damaging ultraviolet rays
• Wearing eye protection when playing sports or working with certain tools

If you notice any of the warning signs of vision loss, consult an opthalmologist or optometrist to have your vision checked.

Causes of Vision Change
Normal changes in the aging eye may include losing focus, especially having difficulty focusing on near tasks; trouble driving at night; and difficulty reading or doing detailed work in low light.

The most common causes of vision change in older adults are age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and cataracts. Vision problems may also be caused by:

• Damage to the retina (a thin tissue lining the back of the eye) due to disease processes like diabetes
• Damage to the brain's vision area due to stroke, head injury, or a brain tumor
• Side effects of certain medications
• Eye infections
• Vitamin deficiencies
• "Lazy eye" (a condition in which the muscles in one eye become weakened)
• Inherited abnormalities, such as retinitis pigmentosa

Common Eye Disorders
Many things can cause vision damage throughout life, from illness to poor diet. Following are some common causes of vision loss among older people.

Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD)
The leading cause of blindness in mature adults, macular degeneration gradually destroys sharp, central vision (what we see when we look straight ahead). Macular degeneration affects the macula—an area near the center of the retina where visual acuity is greatest. Older people—especially women, Caucasians, people with a family history of ARMD, and people who smoke—are at increased risk.

Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a disease in which fluid pressure inside the eye socket increases. If not controlled, this increased pressure may cause the optic nerve (the primary nerve running from the eye to the brain's vision area) to shrink. This shrinkage results in loss of peripheral (side) vision.

Cataract
Cataract is the medical term for a clouding of the eye's lens. The lens lies behind the central black pupil and the colored iris. As we age, the protein the lens is made of can clump together. When this happens, the clumps start to cloud a small area of the lens. The cataract may grow larger over time, causing vision to blur.

New Research in Vision Loss
Scientists have discovered a gene that seems to account for about one-sixth of all cases of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD).
Normally, the gene's purpose is to produce a protein that helps build critical parts of the eye's retina (the tissue lining the back of the eye). When the gene becomes abnormal (or mutant), it causes changes that set the stage for ARMD as we age.

By discovering the processes that go wrong when the gene mutates, scientists are one step closer to being able to identify people at risk for ARMD. Ultimately, they hope to develop therapies to interrupt the abnormal processes, in order to treat or prevent ARMD.