How seniors can better protect their vision

(NC) A loss of vision can have a serious impact on anyone’s life. Seniors face a higher risk—as much as five times higher, according to a Canadian study on aging.

Seniors are more susceptible to a range of vision issues. The most common eye diseases that can lead to vision loss are highly age-dependant, including:

• Age-related macular degeneration
• Diabetic retinopathy
• Cataracts

With early detection, many eye diseases can be treated or prevented. The key is getting regular comprehensive eye exams. Healthy adults aged 65 or older should get their eyes examined every year, but many seniors don’t.

Why are seniors skipping regular eye exams? Many seniors will have already experienced vision loss. So why do they hesitate to get an annual eye exam?

Affordability is a barrier, according to a recent report. It found that the cost of getting an eye exam is a problem for 32 per cent of seniors. Routine eye exams are covered for eligible seniors under some provincial healthcare plans, but less than half say that they have this coverage. Another barrier may be an awareness gap, where people’s eye health can worsen without them noticing.

“Many people don’t realize their eye health may be changing without them experiencing any difference in their vision,” says Naomi Barber, clinical services director at Specsavers Canada. “Vision health starts with regular eye exams.”

Catching issues early is the best way to protect vision. One way to detect issues early on is with a comprehensive eye exam that uses advanced technology such as optical coherence tomography (OCT). It’s an imaging technique that lets optometrists see what’s going on beneath the surface of the eye. This is important for detecting common eye diseases that don’t have symptoms in the early stages, such as glaucoma. Eyesight is precious at any age. You can help protect it by getting a regular eye exam with OCT.

Learn more at specsavers.ca.