10 Common Symptoms of Age-Related Vision Changes

As we age, our eyesight often changes, making activities that were once simple a little more challenging. It's not an uncommon occurrence: 4.2 million Americans experience low-vision issues or blindness due to age-related eye disease.¹

Here, we've compiled some of the symptoms you may experience as your eyes age, and what you can do to treat or prevent them.

1. Fluctuating vision, or frequent changes in how clearly you can see, could be a sign of high blood pressure or diabetes.³ Left untreated, these conditions could lead to vision loss. It could also indicate age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or cataracts.³
2. Loss of peripheral vision could be a sign of glaucoma. Glaucoma can often be treated with medicated eye drops or eye surgery; if left untreated it can lead to permanent loss of vision.²
3. A change in color perception might be a sign of AMD, a common vision problem in older adults.
4. Blurred vision could indicate a variety of age-related vision issues, including AMD, cataracts, glaucoma and diabetes-related retinopathy.⁴
5. Reduced contrast sensitivity affects your ability to distinguish between two similar colors and could be a symptom of a variety of aging eye issues, including AMD, glaucoma, cataracts and dry eye.⁵
6. Sensitivity to glare can indicate the development of cataracts.⁶
7. Difficulty reading small print could be symptomatic of something as simple as presbyopia or a more serious condition such as AMD.⁶
8. Eye fatigue and strain can indicate that you're dealing with presbyopia or dry eye. Using a digital screen can worsen these conditions.⁷
9. Seeing halos — bright circles or rings around a light source such as a street lamp— can mean that you're dealing with dry eyes, cataracts or glaucoma.⁸
10. Excessive tearing can result from dry eye irritation, an eye infection or possibly cataracts.⁴

Diagnosing and Treating Age-Related Vision Changes

There are ways to properly diagnose and treat any age-related vision changes, including eye exams, corrective lenses, medication and surgery, among others. Below are some ways to handle changes to your vision that you may be experiencing.

Schedule regular eye exams

Unless you're experiencing severe vision issues that require immediate attention, see your doctor for an eye exam at least once every one to two years.⁹ The average cost of an eye exam if you do not have insurance is around $184.¹⁰ Be sure to share your health history with your eye doctor and discuss any vision concerns you may have.⁶

Correct your vision with eyeglasses or contact lenses

After seeing your eye doctor, they may prescribe eyeglasses or contact lenses to correct your vision. The average cost of prescription eyeglasses is around $200 to $300.¹¹ Contact lenses cost between $50 and $500 per year, depending on how often they are replaced.¹²

Have surgery when needed

Surgical treatments can help resolve many issues related to aging eyes.

• Cataract surgery can help restore eyesight to those with severe vision issues due to cataracts. Expect to pay anywhere from $3,500 to $7,000 per eye for cataract surgery.¹³
• Glaucoma eye surgery won't restore vision loss caused by this disease, but it can preserve your vision if other treatments haven't worked. Costs of glaucoma surgery can range from $1,300 to $11,000, depending on the type of surgery required.¹⁴
• Dry eye surgery can help with vision problems caused by severe dry eye that won't respond to other types of treatment like eye drops. There are several types of surgery, including punctal plugs, that help keep your eyes moist.¹⁵ Expect to pay around $250 to $650 for surgery to insert punctal plugs into the tear ducts.¹⁶
• For those dealing with diabetic retinopathy that involves a condition known as tractional retinal detachment, a vitrectomy may help. But this pricey procedure runs around $8,000 to $14,000.¹⁷

Use laser treatment to improve your vision

Laser treatments may help improve vision for those with age-related presbyopia, macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.⁴

• Laser treatment can stop leakage from blood vessels for those with diabetic retinopathy.⁶ Three treatments cost around $1,326 or more.¹⁷
• For those with wet AMD, photodynamic therapy (PDT) may help. PDT uses a combination of injectable medications and laser treatment to help slow down vision loss, though it is not a cure.¹⁸ These treatments aren't cheap, though, and can cost anywhere from $100 to $4,000 per treatment. More than one treatment is usually required.¹⁹
• To help drain the excess fluid from the eyes of those with glaucoma, your doctor may use laser treatment. The cost of laser surgery to treat glaucoma ranges from $1,000 to $2,000.²⁰
• Laser surgery and other types of refractive surgery may even help those with presbyopia in some cases.⁹ The cost of LASIK surgery is around $1,500 to $2,000 per eye.²¹

Take medications and use other therapies

Your doctor may prescribe medications like eye drops and other therapies for your age-related eye issues.

• Prescription eye drops can temporarily treat presbyopia²² and average around $85 for a 2.5 milliliter bottle.²³
• Glaucoma eye drops, available by prescription, can help reduce the pressure within the eye.⁶ These drops cost between $12 and $90 per month, depending on the type of medication prescribed.²⁰
• Over-the-counter moisturizing eye drops can treat dry eye.²⁴ Expect to pay between $10 to $20 for a bottle of eye drops.¹⁶
• Supplements can help slow down the progression of age-related macular degeneration.⁶ Prices range from $16 to $22 for a bottle of 60 pills.²⁵
• Anti-VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) medications that your doctor injects into the eye can help treat AMD.¹⁸ These limit the growth of new blood vessels within the eye itself.⁶ The injections are costly, around $1,850 per dose.²⁶

Prevention and Management of Age-Related Vision Changes

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle will help protect your vision, including following a healthy diet with plenty of vitamins and nutrients; staying at a healthy weight; and managing any medical conditions, like diabetes, that could impact your eye health.

Here are some ways to manage and prevent age-related vision changes from occurring.

Wear proper eye protection for UV rays

Continued exposure to UV rays can lead to age-related macular degeneration,⁶ cataracts and even eye cancer.²⁷ Wear sunglasses that provide 100% UV protection and block both UV-A and UV-B rays, especially during midday to the early afternoon when the sun is at its brightest.²⁷ Top off your look with a wide-brimmed hat as well to provide further sun protection for your eyes and face.²⁷

Maintain a healthy lifestyle and diet

Staying healthy and eating a diet rich in vitamins, minerals and healthy fats — including fruits, vegetables and low-glycemic foods, among others — is vital to keep your eyes healthy.²⁸

• Nutrient-rich foods that are high in antioxidants, such as fruits and vegetables, may help lower your risk of conditions like age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.²⁸
• Diets that are plant- or seafood-based may help lower your risk of developing both AMD and heart disease.²⁸
• Eating foods with a low glycemic index can help those with diabetes and diabetic retinopathy.²⁸
• Healthy fats such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids found in foods like fish and nuts help prevent dry eyes.²⁸

Exercise regularly and get physical activity

You probably already know that exercise is good for your body, but it's also good for your eyes. That's because regular exercise — about 30 minutes per day — helps to:²⁹

• Prevent the overgrowth of blood vessels within the eyes, lowering your risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy
• Keep conditions like diabetes under control, thus helping prevent diabetic retinopathy
• Lower intraocular pressure for those dealing with glaucoma

Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol consumption

Smoking isn't just bad for your lungs — it can also increase your risk of developing age-related eye issues like cataracts and macular degeneration. Quit smoking, and you can decrease these risks.⁶

Excessive alcohol consumption can worsen conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, both of which can lead to vision problems.³⁰ It can also lead to an increased risk of cataract formation, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.³¹

Manage underlying health conditions

Health issues like diabetes, if not properly controlled with insulin and other medications, can lead to vision problems like diabetic retinopathy and the formation of cataracts over time. Other health conditions like high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, can increase your risk of diabetic retinopathy and the development of cataracts.⁶

Keeping your health conditions under control will not only make you feel better overall, it will also help prevent vision issues from developing as you age.

Financing for Age-Related Vision Change Treatment

It's important to get regular eye exams so your doctor can monitor any changes in your vision for signs of age-related eye diseases. To deal with the costs of these exams and things like prescription eyeglasses and contacts, you can:

• Use cash or a debit card to pay for these costs outright.
• Invest in vision insurance. Keep in mind that vision insurance will have limits on the amount of coverage offered per year and may have deductibles for things like exams.³²
• Make use of your health insurance. When it comes to major surgeries like cataract surgery, your health insurance may cover some or all of the costs if the surgery is considered medically necessary.³³
• Utilize a standard credit card to pay for the cost over time.
• Finance the costs with the CareCredit Credit Card to pay for your eye care expenses not covered by your health or vision insurance.*

Financing Eye Exams With the CareCredit Credit Card

Regular eye exams are an important part of your eye health. Whether you're getting an eye exam or needing eye surgery, the CareCredit credit card can help you pay for care where your insurance leaves off.* Apply today and use our Acceptance Locator to find a vision specialist near you that accepts CareCredit. Continue your wellness journey by downloading the CareCredit Mobile App to manage your account, find a provider on the go and easily access the Well U hub for more great articles, podcasts and videos.

Author Bio

Susan Paretts is a freelance writer with 18 years of experience covering health and wellness, pet care and more. Her work has been published by the American Kennel Club, Bayer Animal Health, Elanco, LIVESTRONG.com, The San Francisco Chronicle, Chewy and more.