Baby Boomers and Eyesight Issues over 40

If you’ve turned 40, chances are you’ve noticed that your body is beginning to betray you a little. Your eyesight in particular will have changed, and one of the biggest issues with people aged 40-45 is the onset of presbyopia.
 
Optilase laser eye clinics can now treat presbyopia, and help thousands of patients find clear vision every year.
 
Presbyopia is normal, inevitable and happens to just about everybody. It’s an age-related loss of the ability to focus clearly on objects that are close you your eyes.
 
The initial port of call for many people is reading glasses to help them overcome he focusing problem when they have to concentrate on print-buying your first pair of reading glasses can be a bit of a milestone; the first ‘real’ sign that you are in fact getting ‘old’.
 

What Is Presbyopia?

 
Presbyopia is sometimes jokingly referred to as "short arm syndrome," because of how far you have to stretch hold an object with fine print away from your eyes to try to see it properly.
 
Nobody over 45 escapes this vision problem; it’s caused by a gradual stiffening of the crystalline lens of the eye. The job of that lens is to alter shape to accommodate the light entering the eye, so the light gets focused onto the retina on the back wall of the eye to form a clear image.
 
One the lens starts to get stiff, it can’t shift its shape anymore and it’s impossible to form a clear image of close-up objects unaided.
 

Dry Eyes

 
Dry eyes can be terribly annoying, painful and itchy. Women are far more likely to develop dry eye syndrome than men, primarily due to hormonal changes brought about during peri-menopause and menopause.
 
A combination of lubricating eye drops and a diet rich in vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids can help.
 

Night Vision

 
Have you become a bit reticent about driving after darkness falls? That’s also a common concern for older drivers, as they can develop vision problems which impede their clarity of vision at night.
 
Trouble with glare is very common, as is night-blindness and difficulty seeing the road ahead. This is especially worrying when people are on an unfamiliar route, and they find themselves straining to see. By the time they get out of the car, they find themselves exhausted and have a headache.
 
To book a free consultation with Optilase and find out how a laser eye procedure can help restore your vision, eliminating the need for corrective eyewear, just call +353 1 223 8821 or see www.optilase.com