If you’re a runner, you may have noticed how changes in your gait and shoes can lead to injuries. The injuries usually aren’t immediate, but they do occur as you log more miles. When it comes to health, nearly everything is interconnected in some way. The same is true of your vision and how it affects your health. Like running, the wrong changes and decisions about your vision will, over time, have consequences. One common vision mistake is failing to wear prescription glasses or failing to update your eyewear when your vision changes.
Middle Aged Farsightedness
There are many reasons people fail to have their vision problems corrected. A common reason for those entering middle age is a reluctance to acknowledge their aging. They find reading and close-up work difficult because their eyes don’t focus well. Rather than getting their eyes examined and buying a pair of reading glasses, they try to get by as best they can by straining their eyes when reading. In an effort to avoid acknowledging their age by staying clear of prescription reading glasses, they show it in other ways, such as holding printed material at arm’s length and squinting.
This condition, called hyperopia, leads to other problems such as eye strain that produces blurred double vision, sensitivity to light, and headaches. Uncorrected hyperopia causes yet more problems such as decreased job productivity and an increased risk of getting into a car accident. If their work involves the use of dangerous tools or equipment, there’s a risk of injuring themselves and others.
The nearsighted person can only focus well on close up things. If the condition isn’t too severe, she can function reasonably well in many important activities such as reading, office work, and home care because these require close up vision. Activities requiring far vision such as walking and generally getting around are doable provided she doesn’t drive. This personal functionality may cause some people to forgo getting their vision problem corrected with prescription glasses.
This is a mistake because the eye is no different from the rest of the body in that if it isn’t fully used, parts of it will atrophy. The eye lens, and eye muscles that shift focus need exercise.
Lazy Eye
Lazy eye, or amblyopia, is a condition where one eye has normal visual acuity while the other doesn’t. It often starts in early childhood. There are several causes of lazy eye. One that’s preventable by early diagnosis and use of corrective eyewear is refractive amblyopia. When one eye has normal vision while the other is either farsighted or nearsighted, the brain gives the normal eye preferential treatment and ignores signals from the other. If this goes on for too long, the part of the brain that processes signals from the weak eye atrophies and loses its ability to make sense of visual input. The weak eye becomes blind.
You can prevent lazy eye by catching the condition early and using prescription glasses that correct the vision of the weak eye. This causes the brain to use both eye inputs equally, and the problem is averted.
Poor Quality of Life of the Elderly
The quality of life of the elderly declines drastically when they can no longer live independently. Sometimes it’s lost prematurely because of medical conditions or injuries. However, one easily treated condition that profoundly impacts the elderly is a vision problem. If someone you know or care about is neglecting their vision problems, don’t be shy about having a talk with him or her.
Good vision is essential for doing the basic things of everyday living. Without it, an elderly person’s ability to live independently diminishes. This diminishment can happen suddenly if poor vision causes a disabling accident, all for want of a pair of prescription glasses.
Stay healthy by keeping your vision strong. Don’t allow a vision problem to adversely affect your life or that of someone close to you. See your eye doctor regularly and get the right pair of Nike prescription glasses. Contact us if you have any questions.
