The eye is obviously extremely complex, and as with all biological processes, our eyes will be affected as we age. But there will also be a variety of other areas – such as diet, exercise, stress, pollution as well as a strong genetic component – that can affect our eyesight.
Your sight can diminish for various reasons such as presbyopia, cataracts, and glaucoma all of which will affect our eyes as we age. Presbyopia, for instance, is a normal part of ageing which hardens the lens and affects our ability to see close objects.
Cataracts are synonymous for being an age-related health issue. It occurs when the lens within the eye develops cloudy patches which, over time, can increase in size and eventually leads to complete blindness.
Glaucoma has a strong genetic association and tends to run in families, with open angle glaucoma (OAG) – being labelled as the “silent thief of sight”. There will be various reasons for developing glaucoma, such as genetics, age, lifestyle (stress and sleep) to environmental factors such as pollution and ultraviolet build-up.
Open angle glaucoma (OAG) usually manifests by reducing your peripheral or side vision, and develops into tunnel vision over time, which will also increase intraocular pressure (IOP) – the fluid pressure within the eye.
Fundamentally, inflammation and oxidisation are two main areas that need to be improved to reduce eye degeneration, with both playing a crucial part in sustaining eye health.