Your vision is a crucial part of your everyday life, so it’s natural to be a little concerned when things start getting blurrier. Many people experience vision changes throughout their lives but don’t visit their optometrist until it’s too late. So, why does your vision keep getting worse, and what can you do about it?
When you’re younger and dealing with worsening vision, it’s likely due to a problem like myopia. For adults, worsening vision could be due to cataracts, presbyopia, or any eye condition that can develop with age. If you ever notice a significant change in your vision, visit your optometrist as soon as you can.
Does Wearing Glasses Make Your Eyesight Worse?
Wearing glasses doesn’t make your vision worse, no matter your age. Glasses are designed to give you clear vision by altering light as it enters the eye, accommodating any natural misshaping to restore your vision. However, they won’t alter the physical structures of your eyes.
However, wearing an old pair of glasses or an incorrect prescription will likely be uncomfortable. If your prescription isn’t up to date, you might experience:
- Eye strain
- Headaches
- Blurry vision
- Overall discomfort
Fortunately, these symptoms are temporary and will not cause permanent damage. If you experience these symptoms every time you wear your old glasses, it’s time to update your prescription.
What Makes Your Eyesight Worse?
One of the most common causes of blurry vision in children and adolescents is called “myopia,” or nearsightedness. This develops when the eye grows longer than it should or if the cornea curves incorrectly, which changes how light bends inside your eye. Myopia usually starts to develop in the early school years and progresses until the age of 20 or so.
Fortunately, refractive errors like myopia can be addressed with corrective lenses. Your eye doctor can write your child a prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses to properly bend light and give your child clearer vision.
Eye Conditions Known to Damage Eyesight
For adults living with worsening vision, it can be complex. While myopia can still progress in adulthood, you may also be at higher risk of age-related conditions. Some common culprits of worsening eyesight for adults include:
- Presbyopia, where your eye’s natural lens loses the ability to focus on nearby objects
- Cataracts, where your eye’s natural lens starts to cloud over and block light
- Age-related macular degeneration, where the part of the retina responsible for clear central vision begins degrading
- Diabetes-related complications, where diabetes damages blood vessels throughout the eye, damaging your eyesight
Injuries, trauma, and recent surgery can also affect your vision. There’s a long list of complicated diseases and conditions that damage your eyesight, and most of them are impossible to self-diagnose. Glaucoma, for example, does not show symptoms until it has already caused significant loss of vision.
For adults, routine eye exams help detect eye conditions and diseases before they significantly impact your vision.
However, if you ever notice a sudden change in your eyesight, immediately reach out to your optometrist for a comprehensive eye exam to detect and address underlying causes.
How to Prevent Eyesight From Getting Worse
When it comes to your vision, you need to be proactive. Don’t wait for symptoms to start, and talk to your optometrist to make a plan to preserve your vision.
There are 3 key ways to prevent your eyesight from getting worse: myopia control, your lifestyle, and regular eye exams.
Myopia Control
Myopia control refers to a group of strategies designed to intervene and control how far myopia progresses. While prescription glasses and contact lenses can help correct your child’s vision, myopia control prevents it from getting worse. Although myopia is irreversible, myopia control can significantly slow myopia progression. Effective management can reduce the need to update your child’s prescription.
Myopia control is effective in childhood and sometimes in early adulthood. Your optometrist will work closely with your family to create a customized plan to help preserve your child’s future eyesight.
A Healthy Lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle is essential for your overall well-being, and it plays an important role in preserving your eyesight.
Following a balanced diet can promote eye health. Eat foods rich in nutrients like leafy greens, fish, and nuts. Staying hydrated also enhances eye health and overall health.
You can also take supplements, like vitamins A, C, and E, with omega-3 fatty acids to improve your eye health.
Alaska Eye Care Centers offers MacuHealth, a brand of scientifically formulated supplements designed to promote eye health. Their products, such as the triple-carotenoid blend found in the original MacuHealth, contain lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin, all of which support vision clarity and overall eye wellness. Talk to your eye doctor about the right formula for you.
When outdoors, use UV-blocking sunglasses to protect your eyes from harmful sun rays. Similarly, use protective eyewear when in any environment that can damage your eyes.
These steps may seem simple, but they make a big difference.
Regular Comprehensive Eye Exams
Sometimes, the easiest step is the most important. No matter your age, you should regularly visit your optometrist for comprehensive eye exams so they can keep watch for any potential problems.
Eye exams aren’t just about updating a prescription—they let your optometrist check for any conditions that could make your eyesight worse. Your optometrist can give you tailored advice designed to help you prevent future problems. It’s a key step to making sure your eyesight is clear and your eyes are healthy.
Help Prevent Your Eyesight From Getting Worse
Keeping your vision clear is an important part of maintaining your quality of life, and our team at Alaska Eye Care Centers is here to help. Together, we can take steps to prevent your eyesight from getting worse and keep your eyes healthy. Book an appointment with our team today!
