Almost all retirees know it: the eyes suddenly no longer fulfill their purpose to their fullest satisfaction.
What is presbyopia all about.
Hamburg – With increasing age, the eyesight of many seniors continues to decrease.
To some extent, this is a normal and natural process that falls under the technical term of presbyopia.
The word, which comes from ancient Greek, means something like "old eye" and describes presbyopia - also called presbyopia.
24hamburg.de
explains what pensioners should know about this phenomenon, what signs there are of vision loss and how it can be compensated for
.
Poor eyesight in old age in pensioners: when does presbyopia start?
From a certain age, almost everyone is affected by the consequences of presbyopia: Suddenly your arms are no longer long enough to be able to hold the newspaper or book far enough away while reading and reading for a long time becomes more and more exhausting, some even get headaches from it.
Many seniors can no longer use their smartphones or read menus in restaurants without glasses.
presbyopia: | Presbyopia, also called presbyopia |
Origin of the word: | Ancient Greek: πρέσβυς/présbys: "old" and ὤψ/ōps "eye" |
Definition: | Progressive, age-related loss of the eye's ability to adjust for near vision |
Consequence: | Clear vision at close range is no longer possible without suitable correction |
The noticeable process of presbyopia begins for most people in their mid-40s, but as the
AOK
reports on its website, it ends after a while.
According to this, presbyopia no longer increases by the age of 65 to 70 at the latest.
According to the AOK
, it hits
“almost everyone” before that – or at least “most of them”.
In Germany, presbyopia, at 95 percent, is the most common diagnosis among elderly people with ametropia.
Due to poor eyesight, among other things, the question arises again and again as to whether pensioners are still allowed to drive after a certain age – this is how other countries deal with older drivers.
Cause and treatment of presbyopia: reading glasses are best - contact lenses are also an option
The cause of presbyopia is that the lens in the eye becomes increasingly rigid and less malleable from the age of 50 at the latest.
In addition, the elasticity of the eye muscles decreases.
As a result, it becomes increasingly difficult to see things clearly at close range.
There is no effective treatment or cure for presbyopia, nor is there a way to prevent the natural signs of aging.
But it is quite easy to compensate for the dwindling eyesight of retirement age.
“The classic form is glasses correction.
This can be done with insulated reading glasses or - and this has many advantages - with so-called varifocal glasses.
These are glasses that allow for a smooth transition from distance vision to close-up vision.
Correction using special contact lenses is also possible, but not quite as common,” explains ophthalmologist Dr.
Frank Rohrwacher to the
mdr
.
Anyone who is short-sighted in addition to presbyopia often needs varifocal glasses.
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Aids and options for bad eyesight: Can presbyopia be lasered?
There are other ways to compensate for presbyopia.
Presbyopia can be corrected with the following tools:
Reading aids (ready-to-use glasses in different strengths, which are available in drugstores)
Reading glasses (made individually by the optician) and multifocal glasses (e.g. progressive lenses)
Contact lenses (only suitable if there is another visual impairment in addition to presbyopia that requires permanent correction)
Laser treatment (advertised by some ophthalmologists to correct presbyopia, but rather unsuitable)
Surgery (little researched and therefore discouraged)
Source: AOK
The list shows that while there are a few ways to compensate for presbyopia, reading glasses
remain the most advisable option according to the
AOK .
By the way: Since the adaptability of the lens in the eye is constantly decreasing, it is important to have the visual aids adjusted regularly by an ophthalmologist or optician.
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In most cases, vision changes with age – what you should pay attention to as a pensioner.
(icon picture)
© YAY Images/Imago
Symptoms and indications of poor vision in old age
In addition to presbyopia, there are also some eye diseases that can affect seniors in particular as they get older.
The so-called "cataracts", for example, are one of them, as well as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma and damage to the retina caused by diabetes mellitus (diabetic retinopathy).
The latter three diseases can, according to
Gesund.bund.de
- a website from
Federal Ministry of Health – if left untreated, can lead to visual impairments and even blindness.
However, if these diseases are detected early, progression can be largely avoided and worse consequences can be prevented under certain circumstances.
But what are the signs of vision loss in older people anyway?
As a relative, you can pay attention to the following:
Limited locomotion (hesitant movements, frequent stumbling, may avoid walks in sunshine or at dusk)
Orientation problems (uncertain in unfamiliar areas, reaching wrong often, insecurity when changing from light to dark)
Unusual appearance (stained or mismatched clothing, appearing untidy or unkempt, living space may be less clean)
Striking eye or head movement (holding objects close to eyes, less focused gaze, tilting head and squinting eyes, eyes may water/pain/red or stick together)
Changed behavior (persons dropping and knocking over things more often, searching for objects more often, showing disinterest in usual activities, becoming more withdrawn)
Source: Gesund.bund.de
Regular check-ups at the ophthalmologist are important to prevent this from happening in the first place and to prevent the consequences of vision loss in pensioners – especially as we get older.
In order to guarantee health at any age, as a pensioner you are entitled to the financial assumption of certain examinations.
The information in this article is by no means a substitute for a visit to the doctor and should not be used for self-diagnosis.
Are you healthy, alert and want to enjoy your pension to the fullest?
Then there are certain countries for you as a pensioner where you do not have to pay taxes.
List of rubrics: © YAY Images/Imago