As women age, our eyes undergo changes that can affect our vision and overall ocular health. It is crucial for women over 50 to take care of your eyes and schedule regular exams to prevent age-related diseases and preserve your vision. Let’s discuss some of the most essential eye care tips for women over 50.
Personally speaking, my vision has not been great since I was a teenager, and it’s gotten noticeably worse going into my 50’s. I’ll be graduating to progressive lenses soon and sometimes I see double when watching TV. It’s scary to know that my vision could be worsening, so researching this subject is helping to ensure that I follow all these recommendations!
Common Eye Conditions and Diseases
There are a number of eye conditions that can affect women over 50, and cause impaired vision. These include:
- Cataracts – A cloudy area in the eye’s lens, the clear part that helps to focus light. The first symptoms of cataracts include clouded, blurred or dim vision, sensitivity to light and glare, and increasing difficulty with vision at night. It’s a common condition, especially among people over 80. You can have cataracts surgically removed and replaced with an artificial lens.
- Glaucoma – A group of eye diseases that can cause vision loss and blindness by damaging the optic nerve. This leads to loss of your visual field. A major risk factor is eye pressure, when an abnormality in your eye’s drainage system causes fluid to build up. This leads to excessive pressure that causes damage to the optic nerve. The symptoms are gradual, so you may not notice them. Only a comprehensive dilated eye exam can detect glaucoma.
- Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) – A disease that can blur your central vision. Aging causes damage to the macula (an oval area near the center of your retina), which is the area of sharpest vision. To make a diagnosis, an optometrist or ophthalmologist will perform a comprehensive exam, including a vision test, eye pressure test, and dilated eye exam. It’s a common condition that can lead to central vision loss, therefore making it harder to see faces, read, drive or do things close-up.
7 Tips For Healthy Eyes
1. Regular Eye Exams
Regular check-ups are essential for maintaining good ocular health. Women over 50 should schedule an exam at least once a year. These are important because your eyes are like a window into your body. Doctors can get a direct visual of nerves and blood vessels and can thereby scan for signs of high cholesterol, hypertension, and diabetes. Early detection is key in treating and reducing the risk of many health conditions.
2. Protect Your Eyes from UV Rays
Exposure to UV rays can cause various problems such as cataracts, macular degeneration, and skin cancer around your eye area. Women over 50 should wear sunglasses that block 100% of UVA and UVB (ultraviolet) rays and a wide-brimmed hat to protect our eyes from the sun’s harmful rays. Furthermore, it is recommended that you avoid prolonged exposure to the sun, especially during peak hours.
3. Quit Smoking
Smoking is harmful to your eyes and can lead to various vision problems such as cataracts, AMD, and optic nerve damage. Women over 50 should quit smoking to reduce their risk of developing these age-related eye diseases, as well as other serious health conditions.
4. Follow a Healthy Diet
A healthy diet can benefit your overall health, including your ocular health. Women over 50 should consume foods rich in vitamins A, C, and E, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids:
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is essential for maintaining the eyes’ light sensing cells or photoreceptors. Lack of vitamin A can lead to dry eyes, night blindness, or other severe ocular conditions.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that’s concentrated in the aqueous humor of your eye (the clear fluid found in between the lens and the cornea). As it’s directly linked to dietary intake, consuming more vitamin C can increase its concentration in your eyes. Vitamin C can help to lower your risk of cataracts, and slow the progression of AMD and vision loss in women over 50. Foods packed with vitamin C include citrus fruits, bell peppers, broccoli and kale.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects the fatty acids in your eyes from free radicals, which can cause tissue to degenerate. The retina contains high concentrations of fatty acids, so getting enough vitamin E is essential for ocular health. A severe deficiency in vitamin E can lead to retinal degeneration and blindness. Peanuts, tree nuts, sunflower seeds, green leafy vegetables and vegetable oils are high in vitamin E.
Essential Fatty Acids
The omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are essential for the health of your eyes. These fatty acids may help to reduce dry eye symptoms and lower your risk of ocular diseases. You can find EPA and DHA in oily fish like salmon, as well as omega-3 supplements containing fish oil.
Lutein and Zeaxanthin
These potent antioxidants are well-known to protect your eyes from the sun’s UV rays. Research has shown that these nutrients are associated with a reduced risk of chronic diseases including cataracts, AMD, and diabetic retinopathy. Leafy green vegetables, red grapes, sweet corn, and egg yolks contain these antioxidants.
5. Manage Chronic Health Conditions
Chronic health conditions such as diabetes and hypertension can affect ocular health. Women over 50 should manage these conditions effectively to prevent problems such as diabetic retinopathy and hypertensive retinopathy. It is essential to keep these conditions under control by following a healthy diet, taking medication as prescribed, and maintaining an active lifestyle.
6. Use Eye Drops
With aging, your eyes may become dry due to hormonal changes. This can result in discomfort, itching, and blurry vision. Use eye drops to help with lubrication and relieve dryness. Artificial tears are drops, gels or ointments that lubricate dry eyes, and are available without a prescription. If you feel you need to use them often for relief, consult a doctor about your symptoms before using artificial tears regularly.
7. Reduce Screen Time
Excessive screen time can cause eye strain, fatigue, and dry eyes in women over 50. Staring at a small phone screen extensively can cause a lot of strain and blurred vision right after. You should reduce your screen time and take frequent breaks to rest your eyes. Furthermore, you can adjust your screen’s brightness and contrast to reduce the strain.
You only have one set of eyes! It’s imperative that you take care of them to prevent age-related diseases and preserve your vision. Regular eye exams, protecting them from UV rays, following a healthy diet, and reducing screen time are some effective ways to care for them. By maintaining good eye health and clear vision, you will enjoy a better quality of life.
