Common Elderly Vision Problems and Available Solutions for Them

Elderly vision problems are experienced by many people who reach the later stages in life. Vision problems are only one of the numerous and various physical problems that arise in this stage. People who reach this age are usually already well aware of the fact that many of their senses and abilities might be affected by their age. Fortunately, vision problems, just like many other elderly related problems have many solutions that have been working for years.

The Most Common Elderly Vision Problems

Most people don’t know this, but there are many types of eye problems. While most of them are introduced to the people who are experiencing them or their family members as elderly vision problems, they are still labeled as eye diseases. Here are short summaries of three of the most common ones.

Glaucoma – Glaucoma affects the optic nerve and can result in vision loss. There are three types of Glaucoma. Regular tension, open-angle, and close-angle. Open-angle is the most common of them. The names of these types of Glaucoma originate from the status of the drainage angle for fluid within the eye.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) – Commonly known as Macular Degeneration. Results in blurred vision or a partial loss of central vision in one eye or in both. It doesn’t always result in full blindness. However, loss of central vision can make it hard to read and recognize faces and objects.

Cataracts – A disease usually caused by age that results in a clouding that affects the lens of the eye. Cataracts usually develop over a long period of time. Sometimes only one eye is affected and sometimes both. This results in a variety of symptoms that affect vision. Symptoms may include blurry vision, double vision, and not being able to see in bright light or in the dark.

Life With Vision Loss

Elderly vision problems can cause a big change in the lifestyle of people who experience them. Many people who have been living a fully independent life, often find themselves in a state of relying on others due to their vision problems. This can result in not being able to perform the regular daily tasks that they have been capable of performing on their own until now.

Reading printed content such as letters in the mail, newspapers, magazines, books, menus and even street signs is not a capability people with vision loss can achieve independently. Even money notes while shopping can no longer be recognized by those with elderly vision problems. In some cases, assistive living or personal human assistance is the choice people make to address life with vision loss. However, even with either of these options, a high level of independence can be achieved using assistive technology solutions.

Assistive Technology for Vision Loss

OrCam MyEye 2 can help people with elderly vision problems achieve a significant increase in their daily independence. Features include text reading from both printed and digital surfaces, recognition of barcodes, personal items, colors, faces, and even money bills. OrCam users can shop independently again. Read their favorite books, newspapers, and magazines and even read menus on their own after experiencing vision loss.