If we are lucky, we’ll live into ripe old age. However, along with a longer lifespan comes physical changes to our bodies that we aren’t ready for or would rather ignore. One of the first signs of aging is a change in eyesight, particularly how our eyes function at night. Fading night vision is common and shouldn’t be ignored. Denying the change in the functionality of your sight is not only dangerous to you but to every driver that shares the road. With properly scheduled, yearly eye screenings, you can be sure that you are not putting anyone—including yourself—at risk when you drive.
How Do Aging Eyes Change?
Changes in our eyesight, such as these, occur so slowly that we often fail to notice them:
- Pupil dilation: As we age, our pupils shrink and don’t dilate as much as they did when we were young. Studies have shown that the retinas of seniors receive less light than those of young adults. To see how this affects your vision, put on a pair of sunglasses at night.
- Young eyes have clear corneas and lens, which decreases the scatter of light inside of the eye. As we age, the cornea and lens become less clear and glare is increased, due to scattering of light inside the eye.
- Changes to the cornea and lens reduce our ability to process changes in brightness, called contrast sensitivity. This can make it more difficult to see any objects that happen to be in the roadway after dark.
- Approximately 33 percent of all people have some type of eye disorders like nearsightedness or farsightedness. The same number of people are affected by age related changes like glaucoma or macular degeneration after the age of 40. These disorders can affect even those who have perfect vision their entire lives.
Is There a Public Health Risk Surrounding Older Drivers?
The short answer to this question is ‘yes.’ The declining vision, motor function and cognition experienced by older people are a true risk for not only the individual driver but also the public at large. In less than half of a second, drivers must be able to sense, decide and act on various driving scenarios. Older drivers may not be able to react as quickly as necessary, posing a danger to all with whom they share the roadways.
For those aged between 65 and 75, traffic collisions are the leading cause of injury, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Deaths related to traffic collisions are three times greater during the night as they are in the daytime hours. Studies have shown that approximately 15% of those people killed in a traffic accident are 65 years of age or older. These statistics should be enough to have you phoning your optometrist and scheduling an appointment!
What Can You Do?
Because most states do not have standardized vision test requirements for the re-issuance of a driver’s license, it is up to the individual to take care of and maintain their eyesight. Regular, yearly eye examinations should be part of your normal health care regime. If you are experiencing problems or have been diagnosed with a specific eye-related ailment, your doctor may ask that you schedule more frequent screenings.
Age-related disease isn’t something most people like to think about. Fading senses can make us feel older than we really are. Rather than ignoring any problems you have, take care of them! Not only will you keep yourself as healthy as possible, but also when it comes to your vision, you just may ensure the safety of others.
Author bio: Marcie McDonald is an insurance consultant, and she recommends checking online sites to compare car insurance rates, and also to see if you qualify for no deposit car insurance with monthly payment plans before making your choice.
