From the age of 40 on, most adults find that they start experiencing vision problems. Because vision changes are a part of aging, many older adults don’t recognize the early signs of serious eye health issues. If your parents find themselves experiencing the following symptoms, you should go see your doctor and make sure it is not something more serious.
Some early warning signs include:
- Fluctuating vision. If the clarity of your vision is constantly changing, this may be a sign of diabetes or hypertension.
- Floaters or flashes. Often, people will see spots or floaters in their eyes. This is normal, and a part of the eye’s aging process. But if you suddenly see more floaters than normal, or bright flashing lights, you need to see your eye doctor immediately. You may have a retina tear.
- Loss of peripheral vision. Losing your peripheral or side vision may be indicative of glaucoma. Glaucoma often has no symptoms until damage has already been done to your vision.
- Seeing distorted images. If straight lines appear wavy or distorted, or there is an empty area in the center of your vision, it could be signs of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).