"My eyes aren't what they used to be" is a common refrain among seniors, and in many cases, it's true enough. The eyes inevitably undergo changes and encounter additional challenges as they age. But that doesn't mean you have to allow age-related issues to rob you of your vision. Here at Eye Care Center Mooresville, we're happy to provide you with annual senior eye exams that can detect problems in time for us to administer sight-saving treatment.
The Challenges Faced by Older Eyes
You probably had your first encounter with age-related vision trouble around the age of 40; that's when most individuals begin to develop presbyopia, requiring them to use reading glasses or multifocal lenses. As you move into your 60s, however, eye disease risks begin to rise and new threats to your eyesight emerge. These include:
- Cataracts - Cataracts usually take many years to develop -- but by the time people reach their 60s, their cataracts may be severe enough to impair vision.
- Macular degeneration - This disease, which robs you of your central vision, often makes its first appearance around/after age 60.
- Glaucoma - Glaucoma can develop at any age, but this destroyer of the optic nerves is especially prevalent in seniors.
- Diabetic retinopathy - Diabetes risks rise with age -- and with them, the risk for this irreversible retinal disease.
- Dry eye - Age is the most common factor in the development of dry eye.
The Value of an Annual Senior Eye Exam
You may have gotten away with an eye exam every other year in your younger days, but now that you're a senior, it's imperative that you schedule an annual senior eye exam at our optometry center. The senior eye exam is similar to the standard comprehensive eye exam, with a special emphasis on the eye disease risks faced by seniors. These diseases can do permanent, progressive damage, and the annual exam schedule makes it possible for us to catch them in their earliest stages. The sooner our optometrist discovers such a problem, the sooner you can start receiving treatment to preserve your eyesight.
If your eyes are already under siege from an age-related issue, don't fret. Our Mooresville optometry center helps you cope with the glare sensitivity and blurriness associated with cataracts, prescribe dry eye remedies, and control diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration with medication and lifestyle recommendations.
Schedule an Appointment with Your Mooresville Optometrist
Whether you're currently struggling with an age-related eye disease or you just want to maintain optimal eyesight well into your golden years, talk to our Mooresville optometrist about your current ocular health and the available options for keeping vision challenges under control. (If you need glasses, take advantage of our special -- buy one pair of glasses, and get 50 percent off a second pair.) Call (704) 664-9121 today to schedule a senior eye exam!