Age Changes

In the United States, more than 50% of the population is over the age of 40, while 16% is over the age of 65. The majority of these Americans are unaware of the effects that aging has on vision. The structure and health of the eyes changes as we get more birthday candles on our cake, leading to visual changes. As patients, we need to be informed on how our vision will change and what prevention is available.

What conditions affect the vision of older Americans?

Diabetic Retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in the United States, caused by uncontrolled diabetes damaging the retina vasculature. Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in adults 65 years and older. This eye disease causes central vision loss affecting reading, driving, and watching TV. Cataracts of the clear crystalline lens cause a progressive cloudiness that dulls colors and increases glare. Dry eye can occur when an insufficient amount or poor tear quality is produced. A lack of quality tears can decrease clear vision and eye health. Glaucoma is a hereditary disease of the optic nerve that begins as a loss of peripheral vision, but can progress to total blindness if undiagnosed or untreated.

What can you do to protect your eye health?

Nutrition is an important component of maintaining healthy eyes. Lutein and zeaxanthin, found in broccoli, spinach, corn, green beans, peas, and oranges, help prevent macular degeneration. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in tuna, salmon, and herring, can decrease systemic inflammation and prevent dry eyes.

An overall healthy diet can prevent and control diabetes. Plus, regular use of UV-blocking sunglasses are essential to prevent macular degeneration, cataracts, and the effects of dry eye. In the end, the best way to prevent and monitor the effects of aging on vision is to schedule a routine yearly eye exam, and consult your eye doctor more frequently if you have any questions or concerns.

Effects of Smoking

Ever hear of the Great American Smokeout? This annual event of the American Cancer Society encourages people to give up smoking for 24 hours and donate money normally spent on tobacco to schools and the community. In honor of this event, we are going to take a look at how smoking can affect the health of your eyes. In adults, the two most common conditions that have been linked to tobacco use are the development of cataracts and macular degeneration. A cataract is an age-related clouding and yellowing that occurs in the lens of the eye that can lead to decreased vision as the opacity increases. The risk of developing cataracts in smokers is 3 times greater than in non-smokers.

Macular Degeneration is the loss of central vision due to age-related damage to the central retina, or macula. Smoking is an established risk factor for macular degeneration, with the increased risk also being 3 times greater than in non-smokers. However, smoking is not just a risk factor for macular degeneration, but has been linked by studies as a direct cause for the condition to develop.

What about Second-Hand Smoke?

Second-hand smoke can also cause a variety of changes to the surface of the eye, not only in adults, but more so in children. These changes include altering tear composition and decreasing tear secretion, thus leading to itching, redness, and irritation. In adults, this can lead to severe dry eye. In children, this can increase the occurrence of allergic conjunctivitis. Allergic conjunctivitis is ocular irritation and discomfort due to a reaction to an environmental allergen, such as second-hand smoke. The chances of developing allergic conjunctivitis increases by 20% in children exposed to smoking.

Sports Eye Safety

With March Madness coming soon, and baseball's opening day just a month away, it's no surprise that April is Sports Eye Safety Month. An estimated 40,000 sports eye injuries occur every year, from corneal abrasions and eyelid bruises to retinal detachments and internal bleeding. A majority of these victims are children, with baseball and basketball accounting for the largest number of injuries. The good news is that with the proper protective eye wear and equipment, most of these injuries are preventable.

In Which Sports are Eye Injuries the Most Common?

Eye injuries are, by far, the most common in basketball. Protective eye wear is not mandated and usually not encouraged. With flying elbows and fingers, serious eye injuries resulting from blunt trauma can often occur to unprotected eyes. Eye injuries often occur frequently in baseball, tennis, and racquet ball. Little League pitches may reach speeds of up to 70 mph, which is fast enough to break bones and cause retinal detachments. Soccer, football, golf, water sports, and hockey also put unprotected players at risk for serious eye injury.

So, What Can You Do to Protect Yourself?

Regular glasses do not provide enough protection alone. Specific protective eye wear is available for just about all activities. Long gone are the sports band goggles that were prominent in baseball during the mid to late 80's. Today's sports protection allows athletes to choose from various styles of sturdy, lightweight, and effective eye wear. When properly fitted, eye wear does not hinder performance and can prevent 90% of sports eye injuries. In addition, lenses could be made from the shatterproof Trivex material. This will prevent lens breakage and provide improved optical clarity over obsolete polycarbonate materials. Finally, all appropriate protective equipment should be worn at the appropriate times during games. This includes batting helmets in baseball and helmets and face shields in hockey.

Importance of Sunwear

Sunglasses are designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight and high-energy visible light from damaging or discomforting the eyes. They also help cancel out harmful UV rays from the sun and are a visual aid, featuring lenses that are colored, polarized or darkened.

Many people find direct sunlight too bright for comfort. During outdoor activities, the human eye can receive much more light than usual. Healthcare professionals recommend eye protection whenever outside to protect the eyes from Ultraviolet Radiation (UV) and blue light, which can cause several serious eye problems. Some problems associated with prolonged UV exposure are photokeratitis, snow blindness, cataracts, pterygium, and various forms of eye cancer.

Sunglasses can improve visual comfort and visual clarity by protecting the eye from blinding glare. Various types of disposable sunglasses are dispensed to patients after receiving mydriatic, or pupil-dilated, eye drops during eye examinations.

The lenses of polarized sunglasses reduce glare reflected at angles off shiny non-metallic surfaces such as water, or metallic surfaces, such as cars. They are popular among fishermen because they allow wearers to see into water when normally only glare would be seen.

It is not possible to “see” the protection that sunglasses offer. Dark lenses do not automatically filter out more harmful UV radiation and blue light as compared to light lenses. Inadequate dark lenses are even more harmful than inadequate light lenses (or wearing no sunglasses at all) because they provoke the pupil to open wider. As a result, more unfiltered radiation enters the eye.

In essence, always consult your optometrist before buying a pair of shades!