As we get older, changes may affect our vision, making some activities such as reading more difficult, but many changes do not necessarily lead to significant loss of vision or blindness. However, more significant vision loss does become more common with age. Vision loss results in decreased quality of life, increased healthcare costs, and increased risks of household accidents, falls, and car crashes.
Here are questions you can ask your healthcare provider about vision problems:
- What changes normally occur in a person’s vision as they get older? How should I deal with these changes to help me stay safe?
- What are cataracts? How can I tell if I have them?
- Can I prevent cataracts from forming?
- My friends are taking vitamins to prevent age-related macular degeneration. Should I take vitamins too?
- What other things help prevent macular degeneration? How is it treated?
- What is glaucoma? What is the difference between glaucoma and cataracts?
- What symptoms might suggest that I have glaucoma?
- Does everyone with glaucoma eventually go blind? How is it treated?
- I have diabetes. How can I prevent vision loss?
- If I already have vision changes from diabetes, what can I do now to prevent it from getting worse?