We are not always aware of it or do not pay attention to it, but our eyes age with us. Increasingly, eye problems are appearing much sooner and affecting us earlier than previously defined by medicine.
With the help of an expert - ophthalmologist Dr Alicja Dreksler-Tkacz from the Weiss Klinik hospital in Chorzów - we will try to answer questions about the ageing of our eyes, vision problems and changes that occur with age.
Eye-aging, a look at the passing of time
Sight is the first sense that is so strongly influenced by the passing of time. Doctors define fairly rigid age ranges within which the onset of certain conditions is more than likely. Problems affect both the optical system and the processes of normal vision, as well as the tissue environment of this organ.
The skin of the eyelids becomes flaccid and the fibers of the levator muscle diverge, which can cause drooping of the upper eyelid or curling or retraction of the lower eyelid. Orbital fat atrophy makes the eyes appear smaller," Dr Dreksler-Tkacz gives examples of such changes.
20+, 40+, 60+
The eyes reach their full potential around the age of 20. age, when the only physiological problem may be a stabilising defect in the eyes. All other conditions are purely the result of external factors - environmental influences or mechanical damage. The first symptoms of eye ageing appear around the age of 40. As a result of hardening of the lens, there is a gradual loss of the ability to accommodate, i.e. to see objects sharply at different distances.
This process, known as presbyopia, is irreversible and can only be effectively treated with appropriate correction. The solution may be glasses or contact lenses," explains Dr Dreksler-Tkacz. However, in the experience of doctors, the limit of 40 years is starting to decrease more and more and presbyopia affects patients sometimes reaching the age of 35. The next limit is 60 years of age - cataracts, macular degeneration and glaucoma appear as a result of ageing eyes.
