We Treat Patients With Myopia After 40 in Derry, NH & Surrounding Areas

Eye Care & Vision After 40 in Derry, NH

As you age, it becomes more and more important to be proactive about your eye care. You may be at a higher risk of certain eye conditions and diseases as you age or if you develop chronic health problems. Visiting your eye doctor for regular eye exams and vision evaluations can provide early warning of eye conditions. You may have more success preventing, halting the progression of, or treating symptoms of eye conditions if they are caught in the early stages. At Spindel Eye Associates, our team has extensive education and training on helping our patients maintain healthy vision and eyesight and treating patients with myopia over 40 in Derry, Windham, Raymond, and Londonderry, NH.

Why Does Near Vision Change After 40?

There are many different reasons you might experience changes in vision after 40 years old:

• Dry Eyes – Your eye might slow the production of tears, leading to dry eye syndrome. This makes it harder for your eyes to flush out contaminants and foreign objects, increasing your risk of irritation, infection, and abrasions that affect your vision.
• Glaucoma – Your risk of developing glaucoma increases as you age, with the highest risk occurring as you approach 60 years or older. Untreated glaucoma can progress to the point of partial or total loss of vision. You might also develop blurry vision over 40, peripheral vision loss, and halos or rings around lights.
• Reduced Reading Vision – As you age, the lens inside your eye becomes less flexible, making it harder to view things clearly when they are up close, causing reduced reading vision.
• Difficulty Seeing After Dark – Another part of the eye that changes with age is the photoreceptors in the eyes. Aging photoreceptors causes reduced night vision.
• Cataracts – Your risk of cataracts increases as you age because the proteins occurring naturally in your eyes might begin to clump together. This protein clump can form a cataract, which causes blurry vision, reduced night vision, and halos around lights.
• Macular Degeneration – As you age, your macula may begin to break down. The macula, located at the back of the retina, comprises millions of light-sensing cells that help you see clearly and sharply. Macular degeneration is a condition in which the layers of the macula begin to leak and separate, causing blurry central vision.

Should You See a Doctor About Age-Related Vision Changes?

Any of the following symptoms could be an early warning sign of a serious problem with your eye health. If you develop one or more of these symptoms, visit your eye doctor or ophthalmologist as soon as possible:

• Vision Fluctuations – If you frequently experience changes in how clearly you can see, it might be a symptom of diabetes or high blood pressure. These chronic health conditions can damage blood vessels in the retina and cause temporary or permanent vision loss.
• Increased Floaters and/or Flashers – Everyone sees floaters and flashers occasionally, and they are a natural part of the eye’s aging process. However, you should visit your eye doctor if you suddenly see significantly more floaters and/or flashers than before. It could indicate you have a retinal tear, which can progress to a retinal detachment without quick intervention. A retinal detachment can cause significant vision loss.
• Loss of Peripheral Vision – A loss of peripheral vision can be a warning sign of glaucoma. When untreated, glaucoma can progress quickly, causing permanent vision loss and blindness.
• Distortion of Images – If you see images that appear to be distorted, such as straight lines that look wavy or an empty area in your central vision, it might be an early warning sign of age-related macular degeneration.

When It’s Not Just Aging Eyes

It can be dangerous to assume that changes in eyesight after 40 are natural, unavoidable, or can’t be fixed. Some changes in vision after 40 years old can indicate a serious eye condition or disease. The sooner you visit an eye doctor, the sooner you can begin treatment that might reverse your symptoms, halt the progression of the disease, and prevent further vision loss. Our team has decades of experience recognizing and diagnosing symptoms of age-related eye health disorders. Call us immediately if you develop any of the symptoms above and need an eye exam or eye health screening.

Make an Appointment for an Eye Exam in Derry, NH

Call us today for an eye exam in Derry, Windham, Raymond, or Londonderry, NH. If you have an urgent concern, our on-call doctor will be paged. Our experienced ophthalmologists can assess your overall eye health, screen you for eye conditions and diseases, and provide early detection of eye health issues. It is particularly important to catch early warning signs of glaucoma, changes in eyesight or vision, or myopia after 40 years of age. Routine eye exams and early detection of eye diseases can help you maintain healthy eyes and good vision after 40.