The Ageing Eye

As we grow older, we will experience more eye and vision related issues. Most will require only adjustments in lifestyle and expectations but some changes may be serious or require monitoring. Regular eye examinations will allow early identification of potential problems and start treatment early if necessary.

Common eye symptoms

These pose an inconvenience to daily life but may sometimes be a sign of more serious problems.

  • Presbyopia (lao-hua / 老花) is a normal ageing process that causes difficulty in focusing on near objects. Reading glasses often begin to become necessary for comfortable reading between the age of 40-50 years. Without appropriate reading glasses, prolonged reading can cause headaches, eye strain, and tired eyes.

  • Tearing usually occurs because of dry eye syndrome. This is because the body’s own protective mechanism kicks in when the eye becomes too dry, and produces more tears to compensate for the dryness. Over-production of tears causes tearing, which is also often accompanied by itch, red eyes and a burning or poking sensation. Dry eye syndrome is treated with eye lubricants; more serious cases may require more potent prescription medication.

    Less commonly, tearing may be a sign of more serious eye problems like infections or a blocked tear duct. An examination by your eye doctor will determine the cause of your tearing.

  • Blurring of vision & difficulty seeing in dim light is often due to cataracts but may also be due to other serious conditions like glaucoma and macular degeneration, etc. If you have other medical conditions like diabetes, any blurring of vision should be checked out early to exclude serious eye diseases.
  • Floaters are tiny dots, “flies” or “spider webs” that float across your vision. They are due to degeneration of the eye gel, and are usually considered a normal part of aging. However, they may be a sign of retinal tears or retinal detachment in some cases. If you suddenly see floaters, especially if they are also accompanied by lightning flashes, see your eye doctor as soon as possible to rule out potentially blinding conditions.

Common ageing eye disorders

Just as a car suffers from wear and tear with time, our eyes also undergo degenerative changes with age. These are a few common ageing eye disorders that can lead to vision loss. Many have few or no early symptoms, so regular eye examinations will help pick up serious problems for early treatment.

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