Concerned about age-related eye problems? Dr Daphne Han, Consultant from the Cataract & Comprehensive Ophthalmology Service at Singapore National Eye Centre, gives detailed answers to your questions.
Age affects eyesight in a variety of ways. For many, it may simply mean the need to wear reading glasses as they get older, while others may suffer from cataract, or a clouding of the lens of the eye. There are other eye conditions too, like glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, which can affect your quality of life as a senior.
Dr Daphne Han, Consultant from the Cataract & Comprehensive Ophthalmology Service at Singapore National Eye Centre, gives detailed answers to your questions.
Question by [email protected]
Dear Dr Han
I'm a 48 year old woman.I had perfect eye sight during my youth days but once I go beyond age 40 I started to have long sightedness & need to put on glasses.I cannot read small prints on newspaper without glasses nowadays.
My hubby had short sighted for more than 20 years & he's now over age 50.I was shocked that he can read the fine prints on the newspaper without glasses.Why is that so?
Is there a way to improve my eye sight other than wearing glasses?
Jane
Answered by Dr Daphne Han Consultant Cataract & Comprehensive Ophthalmology Service Singapore National Eye Centre
Everyone gets presbyopia at the age of about 40 years old, due to the deterioration of accommodation of our eyes. The difference between you and your husband is that you started with neutral i.e. you were not shortsighted, while he started with shortsightedness which in optical parlance is a minus. With presbyopia one needs reading add which is a plus power. Hence for your husband the minus from his short-sightedness neutralizes the plus that he needs for near when he does not wear any optical aid.
Question by Christina
good evening, I just had a phaco cateract op on 31 mar, I had the op for 2 eyes, I am reading very well but my vision is very blur far sighted is this cause for concern ? And my vision seemed to be abit dimmer than before I had the surgery, my age is 51 and I am a female, pls advise Thank you
Answered by Dr Daphne Han Consultant Cataract & Comprehensive Ophthalmology Service Singapore National Eye Centre
It depends what intraocular lenses (IOLs) you had out into your eyes. I presume they are monofocal ones which were chosen to leave you a bit shortsighted (myopic), hence you can read well but for far you need myopia correcting glasses. By now you can go and have your eye power tested by an optometrist for a pair of glasses. If you continue to find your vision dimmer do check with your eye doctor to rule out any post-operative problems.
Question by vericheem
I went for an eye check-up and was informed that I have mild cataract. However, the eye doctor said that it was not ripe for operation yet. What does this mean?
Answered by Dr Daphne Han Consultant Cataract & Comprehensive Ophthalmology Service Singapore National Eye Centre
This most probably means that you eyesight is still good for your activities of daily living. Most eye clinics have an arbitrary visual acuity criterion for cataract surgery eligibility. At the SNEC, we set it at Snellen 6/12, which means if you can still see well enough to drive legally, you most probably won’t need a cataract operation yet. Having said that this is not an absolute criteria. There are some patients who can still see the test chart but have poor quality of vision e.g. have glare, or have large differences in power between the two eyes or increasing myopia caused by the cataracts, which affect their lifestyle such as their ability to drive, or look after their grandchildren or even to play golf. These patients may benefit from earlier cataract surgeries. The notion of waiting for cataracts to be “ripe” before their extraction is over-simplified nowadays.
Question by lifeartsg
Dear Doctor
My distance vision has deteriorated in the past few months noticeably. I am not sure if this is normal or a sign of some serious condition. How do I go about getting a screening for eye diseases like cataract and glaucoma? Can I use my medisave for such a screening?
Answered by Dr Daphne Han Consultant Cataract & Comprehensive Ophthalmology Service Singapore National Eye Centre
It is prudent to get an eye examination since you are symptomatic. An eye screening when one does not have any symptoms at all is also advised especially if there is a family history of eye diseases such as glaucoma. This can never be too early. Unfortunately as far as I am aware currently medisave cannot be used for ophthalmic outpatient fees, but you can draw on your medisave if you need ophthalmic surgeries except for LASIK and cosmetic lid surgeries.
Question by s1630548j
Hi, I am 48 years old woman wearing contact lens with short & long sighted. Currently I experienced poor vision on & off. It happened for about 5 to 10 mins & recovered, but it will happen again anytime. Sometimes my vision can be very clear.
Please advise.
Thank you.
Answered by Dr Daphne Han Consultant Cataract & Comprehensive Ophthalmology Service Singapore National Eye Centre
I presume you wear multifocal contact lenses for your myopia and presbyopia correction. Contact lens wearers tend to get dry eyes and their visual quality can drop when their eyes are dry. Also contact lenses tend to move slightly everytime you blink, and when you wear multifocal contact lenses, this can cause temporary decentration which can affect your vision. Check with your eye doctor to exclude any other eye diseases. You may simply need some lubricating eyedrops if all else is fine.
Question by evelynyee
Hi, Dr Daphne,
I'm 46 & have already been wearing a bi-focal spectacle for a few years now. Recently I've been experiencing a blur vision in the afternoon while working on my PC almost on every working day.
FYI, I need to do lots of data entries which required me to use the PC for almost full 8 working hours which is unavoidable due to my job requirement.
Please advise how can I prevent my eye sight from getting worst?
Thanks so much in advance :p
BRs, Evelyn
Answered by Dr Daphne Han Consultant Cataract & Comprehensive Ophthalmology Service Singapore National Eye Centre
PC users tend to suffer from dry eyes as intensive staring at the screens causes one to blink less frequently and hence the tear film over our eyes evaporate quicker. You need to try to
- blink frequently
- drink more water so your eyes are not dehydrated
- use some lubricating eye drops
- can try taking some omega 3 fish oil or flax seed oil as they help with your tear films.
If all these still don’t help perhaps install a humidifier to moisten the air at work.
Question by christineyeo
Dear Dr Han
What causes eyebags and will it be problematic in the long run? What should we do about it?
Thank you
Chris
Answered by Dr Daphne Han Consultant Cataract & Comprehensive Ophthalmology Service Singapore National Eye Centre
Eye bags are usually caused by aging. The periorbital skin is usually very delicate and with age and gravity it sags, and fat accumulate underneath. They are benign but certainly can be cosmetically unpleasant. Very significant upper lid sagging called dermatochalasis can sometimes cause blockage of one’s filed of vision that may be detectable on visual field testing. Such cases may be a medical indication for surgery.
Question by gmrgnm
Recently, I went for an eye examination to check if I qualify for Lasik but was told that I have early cataracts. My question is what causes cataracts in patients who is below 45 years of age and how to prevent it from becoming worst. Also, may I know what is the next best alternative for correcting short sightedness cum long sightedness?
Answered by Dr Daphne Han Consultant Cataract & Comprehensive Ophthalmology Service Singapore National Eye Centre
Cataracts usually affect the elderly age group i.e. above 60 years old. However younger cataract sufferers are also not uncommon. Cataracts may develop earlier in patients who are on steroid medications e.g. for asthma or some allergic skin conditions. Diabetes, smoking and prolonged exposure to UV light such as in welding jobs may also predispose one to earlier onset of cataracts. Constant eye rubbing from allergies and previous eye trauma are also possible causes. Another group of patients may have a congenital form of cataract which they were born with, and these are often attributed to intrauterine conditions or may even be genetic. Staying healthy, having a balanced diet, not smoking and reducing UV light exposure may delay worsening of cataracts.
Wearing glasses for short and long sightedness is still the most trusted way to correct your vision for now. Having LASIK when you already have a cataract is a waste of resources as cataract surgery can be refractive in nature nowadays. Eventually you should consider cataract surgery when your corrected eyesight is not adequate for daily functioning.
Question by jikenrice
Dear doctor
My mother is in her mid-50s and after a recent body check-up at a polyclinic, the doctor had informed her that she had very very mild cataract. I tried to probe my mother if she currently has any difficulties in her vision but she said no.
So, when should we bring her back to the polyclinic to check-up again? Are there any food or supplements she can take to slow down the effect? If there are supplements available, will they pose any side-effects?
Thank you.
Answered by Dr Daphne Han Consultant Cataract & Comprehensive Ophthalmology Service Singapore National Eye Centre
Early cases where vision is still good can be seen once a year or even once every two years. Having a healthy diet rich in antioxidants, not smoking and reducing exposure to UV light may help in maintaining her eyes.
We currently do not have any recommendations for dietary supplement for prevention of cataracts.
Question by esim
Hi Dr Han, I am not wearing glasses and hitting 40 soon, I find that my eyesight is getting from normal to poor, does age and long hours of computer, television viewing plays a part in eyesight deterioration?
When I go for healthcheck which a part is eyesight check, I am not able to read the second last and last row of numbers/alphabets on reading card, they appear blurry to me.
Also nowadays I find myself sensitive to glare, my vision appears fuzzy especially looking at items far, it is getting increasingly difficult to see at night or in dim light. Are all these symptoms part of ageing or any of the eye conditions listed in your message.
Thank you for your advise in advance.
Concerned Sim
Answered by Dr Daphne Han Consultant Cataract & Comprehensive Ophthalmology Service Singapore National Eye Centre
At 40 you are likely to be becoming presbyopic or “laohua”. You need to see an optometrist to get glasses especially for reading.
If your presbyopic is high it can also affect your distance vision, so you may need glasses for both far and near. Older eyes also tend to get drier. Intensive use of our eyes usually cause reduction in blink rate and predispose to dry eyes.
Try using some lubricating eye drops and taking some omega 3 fish oil and/or flax seed oil to improve dry eyes. If still not helping see an eye doctor to exclude other causes.
Question by angmat
If you have undergo lasik operations when you are young and when you grow older and contracted cataract, does it complicate the cataract operation?
Answered by Dr Daphne Han Consultant Cataract & Comprehensive Ophthalmology Service Singapore National Eye Centre
Previous LASIK operation may cause slight inaccuracies in the calculation of the required intraocular lens implant power during cataract surgery.
Usually the cataract operation itself is not affected otherwise. It is important to inform your eye surgeon that you had previous LASIK done, and if possible, produce your pre-LASIK eye measurement data as well as the power correction performed by LASIK.
Question by octane
I am in my 60's. Sometimes when I stand up from seating position or looking down from a high rise window, my vision will be blur and flashes of white for a tens of seconds, accompanied by a short fainting spell. Is that related to eye problem?
Answered by Dr Daphne Han Consultant Cataract & Comprehensive Ophthalmology Service Singapore National Eye Centre
You may be suffering from postural hypotension which can cause a temporary drop in your blood pressure when you change your posture from sitting down or lying down to standing.
The drop in blood pressure can cause a temporary fainting spell associated with blackouts or white-outs. Check with you family doctor regarding your blood pressure. Remember to tell your doctor of there is any associated headache, focal areas of numbness and tingling, nausea and vomiting, as they may sometimes indicate other more serious problems such as raised brain pressure.
Question by sky
Dr Han my mum already 93 years old still healthy, few years back she has cataract op since then she always complain her eye lids get tired easily cant even watch TV or reading for more than 30 mins, went for eye specialist was told that her eyesight is perfect at her age, given some eye lotion to clean her eye lids but doesn' help. is it due to the op caused muscle loose? Please advise. Thank you. Karen
Answered by Dr Daphne Han Consultant Cataract & Comprehensive Ophthalmology Service Singapore National Eye Centre
Some cataract operations can indeed predispose one to droopy upper lids, especially the extra-capsular cataract surgery which is infrequently performed nowadays.
If her eyes are normally fine and only feel tired when watching TV then she may be suffering from dry eyes instead. However, if you notice excessive droopiness of her eyelids you should alert your eye doctor as she may need further tests or even treatment for them.
Question by mosmos
What are the causes of eyes floaters and how to prevent it? Since young I have been seeing floaters. Now in my 30's, the floaters are getting more and it seems to be affecting my vision slightly.
Answered by Dr Daphne Han Consultant Cataract & Comprehensive Ophthalmology Service Singapore National Eye Centre
Floaters are caused by degenerative changes of the jelly part of our eyes. The ophthalmic term for “jelly part of our eye” is the vitreous, and the official cause of most floaters is “posterior vitreous detachment”.
Myopic eyes tend to get them earlier. If they are chronic i.e. had existed for years they are usually benign.
Recent onset of floaters especially those associated with seeing flashing lights should be examined by an eye specialist to rule out any associated retina tear or retina detachment which would need urgent treatment in the form of lasers or even surgery.
Ref: T12
