Can't See Squat? Emerging Vision Problems as we Age

By: Red Hot Mamas

Published: August 9, 2011

Many of us are relying on higher and higher magnifying mirrors to put on our makeup. We have numerous pairs of eyeglasses placed strategically around our houses because we simply can’t see a thing without them. Oh, how I remember the time when I could read a menu. Yes, I went through the routine of extending my arms out and squinted until I could read the print. I now confess, this is no longer an option for me. Either I have my glasses on, or if I forget them (which I often do), I borrow them from one of my middlessence friends, or I have to rely on asking the waiter to repeat and repeat what’s on the menu.

Ya DE Da. You’ve heard it over and over again. Yes, we are aging baby boomers and with that comes vision problems, contact lenses, bifocals, trifocals, laser surgery, dry eyes and the like. And, to comfort you, every day of the week, this year, there will be 7,000 of us turning age 65. Astonishing numbers, eh? Many of us will be suddenly rushing to eyeglass emporiums in search of the right pair of glasses. I love it when the young sales clerks say “these glasses make you look so intelligent”. And, to boot, they are so expensive. I just hope I won’t lose them. I still refrain from buying that chain that dangles down around my neck to prevent this from happening.

So, what are some of the common things that may occur to your eyes at middlessence? I would suggest if any of these occur, make an appointment with your eye doctor right away.

• Fine print becomes blurrier and you have a difficult time focusing on close up print.
• Cloudier colors vision. Things just aren’t as vibrant as before.
• Dry eyes. Your eyes may feel gritty, dry, scratchy and they may water excessively. This occurs a lot in postmenopausal women.
• It may become more difficult to drive your car at night.
• Peripheral vision loss.
• Any appearance of floaters across your field of vision.
• Cataracts.

Your eye doctor may be able to correct a lot of these changes. There are a great many options available for you. It’s always best to get a once a year routine eye exam as changes to your eyesight requires evaluation. Not all changes to eyesight are just due to aging, some may be associated with medical conditions which also need to be evaluated.

SO IN BOLD PRINT, I REPEAT, EYE EXAMS ARE NECESSARY AT MIDDLESSENCE.