Eyes Over 40: Baby Boomers and Eye Problems

New York City, Long Island, and Manhattan, NY

It’s a fact of life that, as you get older, you are likely to experience changes in your vision. Visual acuity lessens, and you often have more difficulty focusing at close range. Rapid shifts in focus can become problematic, as well, due to changes in the lenses of the eye that make it difficult to change focus quickly.

Presbyopia in People Over 40

The technical term for these vision changes is presbyopia. As you grow older, the lenses in your eyes become less flexible, making it more difficult for them to focus at close range. This leads to a need for vision correction such as bifocals or trifocals, bifocal or monovision contacts, or LASIK eye surgery.

Many members of the over-40 crowd resort to reading glasses that do not require a prescription. While these can be helpful in the short term, they will not provide a permanent solution. For one thing, they are not designed to address the specific weaknesses of your eyes. For another, they only provide vision correction at a single distance, unlike bifocals, which can correct vision at two different average distances.

Other Age-Related Eye Problems

An additional, fairly common age-related eye problem is dry eyes. While dry eyes can stem from several causes, one of the most common is the hormonal changes that occur when women enter menopause. These hormones can reduce the amount of moisture supplied to the eye, making it necessary to pursue treatment to keep the eye healthy.

Another common cause of dry eyes is prescription medication. As you get older, chances are good that you will need prescription medication to manage various health problems. One of the regular side affects of many of these common medications is dry eyes.

Though presbyopia and other age-related vision problems seem inevitable, you can help your eyes stay healthier longer by visiting your eye doctor regularly and taking care to maintain your overall health. For more information about age-related eye disorders and vision problems, please contact the New York City ophthalmology offices of Dr. James Kelly at the Kelly Laser Center.