How vision changes with age and can it be corrected

What is the age norm and what vision can be called good

There are two mechanisms responsible for visual acuity:

1. refraction of the eye ー is the ability to refract light rays, which is measured in diopters. Normally, the entire optical apparatus of the eye works in such a way that the rays are focused exactly in the center of the retina. Conditions in which the focusing of the image occurs before or behind it are called anomalies, or violations, of refraction. These include myopia (nearsightedness), hypermetropia (farsightedness) and astigmatism.

2. Accommodation ー the natural mechanism of adaptation of the eye to focus on objects located at different distances: both near and far. It is directly related to refraction - for example, the closer the thing is, the greater the power of refraction of light when looking from a distant object to a near one.

Visual acuity is checked using tables with optotypes: letters, numbers or other signs of different sizes. In Russia, the tables of Golovin and Sivtsev are most often used ー surely everyone saw this in the office

ophthalmologist. The size of the letters depends on the row: the lower it is, the smaller the characters.

Normal countsStandardized measurement of visual acuity / Ophthalmic Epidemiology vision, in which a person sees the tenth line with each eye from a distance of 5 meters. The index of its sharpness in this case is 1.0.

How vision changes with age

From birth, the human body is constantly evolving, and the visual system is no exception. At the same time, already at an early age, alarm bells can be found in children, signaling the onset development of eye diseases or disorders that need to be diagnosed and corrected as much as possible earlier. Here are a few periods in which the most significant changes in the human vision system occur:

Under 21

newborns children are able to respond only to light stimuli and cannot distinguish shapes, colors, objects. By about 2-3 months, babies begin to see the outlines of things and notice movement. At this age, as a rule, in infants diagnoseOcular Refraction at Birth and Its Development During the First Year of Life in a Large Cohort of Babies in a Single Center in Northern Italy / Frontiers in pediatrics farsightedness because their eyeballs are small.

The optical apparatus of the child is unstable and not fully formed, therefore, up to 14 years old, he may have appearIMI – Myopia Control Reports Overview and Introduction / Investigative ophthalmology and visual science refractive errors. The most common of these is nearsightedness, or myopia. As a rule, she startsA review on the epidemiology of myopia in school children worldwide / BMC ophthalmology develop at school age - from 6 to 15 years. Its progression is influenced by many factors, including genetic predisposition.

To external causes of myopia development relateIMI Risk Factors for Myopia / Investigative ophthalmology and visual science:

• increase in visual load, especially among schoolchildren and teenagers;
• poor illumination of the workplace;
• low physical activity.

At the same time, the child cannot always understand on his own that something is wrong with him. It is important that parents pay attention to changes in habitual behavior: for example, a student has become bring the book closer to the eyes while reading or he has frequent headaches, decreased academic performance.

To stop the further development of myopia, it is necessary to contact an ophthalmologist in a timely manner and choose the appropriate correction method - glasses or hard contact lenses.

Treatment appointedMyopia / British medical journal immediately after visual anomaly detection. And in most cases, the development of myopia gradually slows down by the age of 15, and by 20–22, vision stabilizesMyopia progression from wearing first glasses to adult age / The British journal of ophthalmology.

In adulthood, myopia most often progresses in the presence of appropriate hereditary factors - then it can be combined with glaucoma, pathology of the retina and other eye diseases.

From 20 to 40 years old

During this period, a person should distinguish objects well at all distances - near, far and at an average distance, since the natural accommodation of the eyes is still preserved. However, there are many young people around who wear glasses or contact lenses. There may be several reasons for this:

• uncorrected conditions in adolescence, which we mentioned above;
• hereditary factor;
• diseases of the body that also negatively affect the organs of vision;
• external factors, and especially the lack of control of visual load during study or work.

After 40 years

The first noticeable signs of visual impairment are mainly manifested after 40 years - again, if there are no concomitant pathologies or genetic diseases.

The vast majority of people develop presbyopiaA Review of Pharmacological Presbyopia Treatment / Asia‑Pacific journal of ophthalmology (age farsightedness) ー normal age-related weakening of accommodation, in which it is difficult for a person to see objects close up.

This is a natural process associated with a thickening of the lens and a decrease in the elasticity of the muscle that holds it. Presbyopia is corrected with glasses, contact lenses, laser correction vision or intraocular implantation of multifocal lenses that allow you to see equally in several optical zones.

Among the frequent complaints of patients at this age are dryness and redness of the eyes, especially during reading or long-term work. More often problem meetsThe Aging Lacrimal Gland: Changes in Structure and Function / The ocular surface in women over 45 years of age.

This condition is called dry eye syndrome. It is associated with insufficient production of tear fluid and its accelerated evaporation from the surface of the eye. This is a multifactorial disease, but age is one of the main triggersCharacterizing the Aging Process of the Human Eye: Tear Evaporation, Fluid Dynamics, Blood Flow, and Metabolism‑Based Comparative Study / BioMed research international changes in the work of the structures of the lacrimal glands.

Besides, after 40 years it becomes more difficult for patients to see or read in dim light. When moving from a dark room to the street or to a brighter space, the light can dazzle. This is due to a weakening of the muscles in the pupil, which regulates the amount of light entering the eye.

After 50 years

Every person's body getting old differently. Depending on predispositions and lifestyle, people after 50 years of age may develop diseases that negatively affect, among other things, vision. Here are the main ones:

• diabetes,
• pathologies of the cardiovascular system,
• hypertonic disease.

In the presence of pathologies at this age, patients most often diagnoseAnatomic Alterations in Aging and Age‑Related Diseases of the Eye / Investigative ophthalmology and visual science visual disturbances associated with lesions of the retina:

1. retinal dystrophy ー a collective term for a group of diseases that are characterized by structural changes in the tissues of the inner lining of the eye. These changes lead to deterioration of visual functions, and in some cases to complete blindness.

They appear due to disturbances in the functioning of the vascular system. Unfortunately, it is impossible to completely get rid of dystrophy, but there are surgical methods and conservative therapy that can stop the progression of the disease.

2. Glaucoma ー dangerous pathology, which is characterized by atrophy of the optic nerve. Without proper treatment, the disease can lead to irreversible blindness. Development of glaucoma provokeGlaucoma history and risk factors / Journal of optometry three main factors: increased intraocular pressure, narrowing of the visual fields and changes in the optic nerve. And the first of them can be dealt with. An ophthalmologist can bring blood pressure back to normal by medication, surgery, or laser, depending on the patient's condition.

3. Detachment of the vitreous body - a gel-like fluid that is located between the lens and the retina. With age, it liquefies and becomes less attached to the retina. This provokes its displacement or detachment. As a result, a person begins to see floating "flies" or flashes.

At the same time, their appearance may indicate retinal breaks and even its detachment in future. Fortunately, small lesions can be strengthened with laser coagulation, which creates a adhesion between the retina and the choroid.

4. diabetic retinopathy ー retinal disease in patients suffering from diabetes. It provokes changes in the structure of blood vessels: their walls become thinner, due to which liquid gets inside.

5. diabetic retinopathy manifested by microaneurysms, hemorrhages in the inner shell of the eye. Due to the disease, retinal detachment can also occur, which can only be treated surgically.

After 60 years

The most common disease in patients over 60 ー cataractAnatomic Alterations in Aging and Age‑Related Diseases of the Eye / Investigative ophthalmology and visual science. With age, the lens thickens, becomes rigid and completely loses its elasticity. The main symptoms of a mature cataract are the appearance of a cloudy veil before the eyes and a gradual deterioration in vision.

At the initial stage, the disease may not disturb at all, and without the diagnosis of a specialist it is impossible to notice it on your own. There is only one way to treat cataracts - surgery. During the operation, the patient's cloudy lens is removed and a new one is implanted - an artificial one.

Also common is age-related macular degeneration, or macular degeneration, ー depletion of the so-called yellow spot (macula) in the central zone of the retina. By statisticsAge‑related macular degeneration and the aging eye / Clinical interventions in aging it is diagnosed in about 2% of patients under the age of 50, while in people over 75 this figure rises sharply to 35%.

Age-related macular degeneration progresses due to insufficient supply of blood vessels with oxygen and causes their narrowing, which leads to visual impairment. The main factor in its development is age.

What danger signs to pay attention to, regardless of age

Some diseases that are considered age-related may begin to disturb even in youth. And the key role here is played by heredity, as well as concomitant diseases that can cause disturbances in the functioning of the organs of vision.

You should immediately make an appointment with an ophthalmologist if you notice the following symptoms:

• Acute eye pain. They may signal injury or indicate more dangerous conditions. For example, intraocular inflammation and even attacks of glaucoma, which are characterized by a sharp narrowing of the visual fields.
• Flashes, lightning, threads before my eyes, which may indicate serious pathologies of the retina.
• Dark spots or cloudy veil before the eyes. These may be symptoms of retinal detachment or cataracts.

How to maintain and prolong eye health

Here are some simple yet powerful tips.

Get regular check-ups with an ophthalmologist

Get your eyes checked at least once a year, even if nothing bothers you. The specialist should at least check visual acuity, intraocular pressure, refraction of the eye, as well as assess the condition of the anterior and posterior segment of the eye and measure the peripheral field of view (perimetry).

Avoid eye contamination and foreign bodies

During the day, we often touch our eyes, unconsciously bringing dust or dirt into them. Therefore, it is necessary to wash them with clean water without additional means and wash your hands regularly with soap and water.

Make sure you remove your makeup before going to bed to avoid getting particles of cosmetics in your eyes. Otherwise, they can provoke conjunctivitis and allergic reactions. When choosing decorative cosmetics, it is better to give preference to hypoallergenic products that will not crumble.

Control your visual load

It is difficult to imagine life without gadgets. But at the same time, it is important to remember that 8-hour work at the computer and a long scrolling news feeds and social networks ー this is a colossal load on the eyes. It causes intense muscular tension due to continuous close focusing.

To give your eyes a rest, take regular breaks of at least 10-15 minutes every 1-1.5 hours of work. At this time, it is worth looking at distant objects, thereby relaxing the muscles.

Spend time outdoors

Everything is simple here: while walking, we look at distant objects, which means that we give the muscles of the eye to relax and normalize the functioning of the visual apparatus.

Set the right lighting

Good lighting will reduce eye strain, so it is ideal if your workplace is near a window. Place artificial light sources on the left so that they do not create shadows.

It is worth giving preference to lamps of a yellow tint: such light is closer to natural. When working at a table, especially with small text, do not forget to keep a distance of at least 50 cm from the work surface.

Protect your eyes from UV radiation

Direct exposure to ultraviolet rays damages the retina. To protect yourself, wear sunglasses with a good polarizing coating. And not only in summer. Indeed, in winter it is much more dangerous: bright sunlight is reflected from snow and other surfaces. In addition, the goggles protect against dust and dirt in windy weather.