As you progress from childhood to adulthood, your vision changes. Therefore, if you wear glasses or contacts to correct refractive errors or another eye condition, your eye prescription often changes accordingly. How often this happens, however, depends on a variety of factors.

In this blog, the UOptical team goes over what these factors are and when they should be investigated by an eye care professional.

Age-Related Vision Changes

Early last year, you found out your child needed glasses, so you bought a brand new pair for them. For months, the glasses worked well, but now your child is struggling with their vision again. They complain of headaches or sit too close to the TV when their favourite show is on. How could their prescription have changed so fast? Is this normal?

The answer is yes. If your child has nearsightedness (myopia), it can worsen as they grow older, so it’s not unusual for prescription changes to be more frequent.

Adults also experience vision changes as they grow older. At middle age, the lenses of your eyes begin to harden, resulting in farsightedness (hyperopia). When this happens, you may need to start using reading glasses.

Eye Conditions That May Impact Vision

Aside from nearsightedness and farsightedness, several eye conditions can decrease vision. The good news is that they are treatable. Examples include:

• Amblyopia (lazy eye), which is caused by malfunctioning nerve pathways connecting the brain to one of your eyes. A similar condition is strabismus, in which you have misaligned eyes. To correct your vision, your eye doctor may suggest wearing an eye patch or undergoing surgery.
• Astigmatism, which occurs when the eye curves differently in one direction. This is likely to lead to blurry vision, but it can be corrected with glasses and contacts.

If your vision suddenly gets progressively worse, it could be a sign of a serious eye disease like those listed below:

• Cataracts, which occur when your eye’s lens becomes cloudy and affects your ability to see clearly. Cataracts can develop slowly, so you might not see anything unusual right away, but if you notice a developing cloudiness, see your eye doctor.

• Glaucoma, which is when fluid builds up on the eye and damages the optic nerve. It can cause blindness if left untreated, so if you experience blurry vision or sight loss, contact your eye doctor immediately.

• Retinal Degeneration, which happens when your retina starts breaking down, resulting in tunnel vision, night blindness, and/or vision loss. Although it can’t be cured, it can be treated with medication and laser therapy.

Any Vision Changes Should Always Be Investigated.

If you or your child experience a decrease in vision, it could be a normal sign of aging or a common, easily treated eye condition. However, in some cases, it could indicate that a more serious issue is developing. If you have questions about issues related to your vision, please call UOptical at (416) 292-0075 or contact us online.

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