Vision deterioration with age: can it be corrected?

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One of the troubles associated with age is deterioration of vision. Even adults who previously had sharp eyes notice after 40 that they began to see worse. Objects become less clear, flies appear before the eyes. This causes difficulties in the work process, and with a sharp deterioration of vision – in everyday life. Let's figure out what this phenomenon is connected with, whether it can be avoided, and if it appears – corrected.

Why does vision deteriorate with age

After 40 years, age-related changes begin to actively manifest themselves in our body. Aging processes affect all cells, organs and tissues, and vision impairment after 40 is one of the “symptoms” of adulthood. Of course, each person is individual, someone notices that their vision has become worse at the age of 35, while someone retains their sharp eyesight until the age of 50-60.

One of the reasons for vision impairment in adults is a decrease in the size of the pupil. This is due to a decrease in the strength of the muscles located inside the eye. As a result, less light reaches the retina, so a person begins to see worse and feels a lack of lighting in previously comfortable conditions, as well as discomfort when going out into bright light from a dark room.

With age, the field of vision also narrows. This process is progressive. By the age of 50, most people's fields narrow by 2-6 degrees compared to 40 years of age. This aspect must be taken into account when performing work related to the use of peripheral vision.

Age-related changes in people after 40 also affect the retina. The number of light-sensitive cells on it decreases. This leads to a decrease in image contrast and a decrease in color perception.

The consistency of the vitreous body also changes. This leads to the appearance of flies and dark spots before the eyes.

First of all, people over the age of 40 are faced with the fact that their near vision has deteriorated. This causes difficulties when working at a computer, reading, and performing small tasks. This condition is called presbyopia (age-related farsightedness) and is associated with degenerative changes in the lens, which reduces the eye's ability to focus on nearby objects.

The causes of vision deterioration with age can be not only physiological. This phenomenon can be provoked by:

• diabetes;
• arterial hypertension;
• vitamin deficiency;
• inflammatory eye diseases;
• smoking and frequent alcohol consumption;
• non-compliance with the visual load regime.

If these causes are present, the problem progresses more rapidly, and the first symptoms appear at an earlier age, and working with the eyes to focus near becomes difficult.

Signs of vision impairment

The process is gradual, so many people do not notice the changes immediately. The first sign is rapid fatigue when reading, working at the computer, sewing and performing other work nearby. Along with eye fatigue, headaches, tearing, photophobia, and a feeling of lack of lighting may be observed. A person tries to move the object in question away from his eyes, turn on the light, and often needs breaks in work. At the same time, he can still see well into the distance.
Adults who initially have myopia notice the symptoms of age-related changes later, since the condition is compensated for over a long period of time.

Age-related vision loss can manifest itself in the form of fog before the eyes, as well as spots, flies, blurred images, difficulties in adapting to sudden changes in lighting. With all these signs, it is necessary to make an appointment with an ophthalmologist and check the function of the visual analyzer, and if it decreases, correct it with glasses and medication.

Treatment for vision loss

What to do if vision deteriorates with age? At the first signs, treatment and correction are necessary to slow down the progression and avoid complete loss of the ability to see.

In case of presbyopia, wearing glasses or contact lenses is recommended as part of treatment and correction. This eliminates difficulties when reading and performing other work that requires visual strain. Properly selected glasses will also help get rid of associated symptoms: headache, dizziness, pain in the eyeballs. Examination by an ophthalmologist should be carried out regularly, especially for middle-aged and older people, since eye acuity can change, therefore, the patient will need new glasses.

Glasses are selected depending on the patient's lifestyle. You can choose correction tools for working near, as well as universal glasses with two focuses for constant wear.

In modern ophthalmology, surgical methods of treatment using a laser are used. With the help of surgery, the condition of the lens can be corrected or replaced.

To restore visual function and prevent its further improvement, massage of the collar zone and physiotherapy are successfully used: magnetotherapy, electrostimulation, reflexology, exercises on an accommodation trainer.

Taking vitamins if your vision has deteriorated

An important aspect in the case of deterioration of distance vision and other disorders is replenishing the body's vitamin reserves. This allows you to stop degenerative changes in tissues, preserve the properties of the lens, slow down the process of reducing the photosensitive cells of the retina, and improve microcirculation. The three main vitamins for eye health are:

• Vitamin E protects against free radicals that cause cell death, and also strengthens capillaries. Its intake stops the death of retinal cells, improves blood supply to the tissues of the visual apparatus.
• Vitamin C strengthens blood vessels, improves their tone, contributes to the delivery of nutrients to the retina, participates in the synthesis of collagen, which contributes to the renewal of tissues and the preservation of their elasticity .
• Vitamin A strengthens the cornea, increases eye sharpness, promotes the synthesis of rhodopsin, which is responsible for night vision vision.

Vitamin complexes for the eyes will help preserve vision and stop the age-related process of its decline, so they are widely used in treatment regimens.

Injections for vision impairment

This method is highly effective, as it allows you to deliver the substances necessary for the eyes directly to the point of their application. If vision deteriorates with age, ophthalmologists recommend parabulbar (through the skin of the lower eyelid) injections of drugs based on polypeptides, for example, Retinalamine. It stimulates retinal cells, stops dystrophic changes, improves photosensitivity, normalizes the permeability of the vascular wall, and launches regenerative processes, which provides comprehensive treatment of age-related problems.

Can age-related vision loss be corrected? If you start giving Retinalamine injections at the initial stage, you can restore the function of the visual analyzer. In the later stages, treatment with injections of drugs with polypeptides improves vision or prevents its further decline.

Drugs for vision loss

The list of drugs recommended for treatment depends on the characteristics of the eye condition of a particular patient, as well as age. Vitamin drops are used in therapy, artificial tear drops are recommended to moisturize the mucous membrane, and blueberry extract is used to stabilize visual function.

Vision deterioration with age can be caused not only by natural changes in the body, but also by concomitant diseases, for example, diabetes mellitus, hypertension. In such cases, drugs are prescribed to treat the underlying pathology. This allows you to avoid secondary diseases of the visual apparatus. When diagnosing diseases such as glaucoma, drugs are prescribed to reduce intraocular pressure.

Prevention of vision deterioration

At what age does vision deteriorate, depends on a person's lifestyle and the prevention that he uses. Here are the main recommendations that will help you see the world clearly not only at 40 years old, but also in old age:

• When working with eyestrain, take a 30-second break every 20 minutes. Close your eyes, blink, and look into the distance.
• Do not read or do small tasks in poor lighting. This increases visual strain.
• If you feel dry eyes or work at a computer for a long time, use “Artificial Tears” drops.
• Include spinach, blueberries, fatty sea fish, and eggs in your diet. These products contain substances that are beneficial for the eyes.
• Avoid smoking and alcohol. Chronic intoxication has a detrimental effect on the eyes.
• When working at a computer, adjust the monitor so that the image is clear but not too bright. The optimal distance from the screen to the face is 50-60 cm.

By following preventive measures, you will eliminate many of the causes of vision deterioration.

At the age of 40 and older, it is necessary to visit an ophthalmologist annually. The earlier problems with the visual analyzer are detected, the more effective the treatment will be. Only at an early stage can changes be completely corrected.