Middle age eyesight woes
Discussion
I am rapidly approaching my 40th this year and I have noticed a decline in my night vision, finding that I am really struggling to see when the light levels are low. I am very short sighted (-8.5) but my eyes have always been great in every other respect, and I have no problem with day vision. Its a right PITA when I have to go in to the kids bedroom at night to change nappies and turning a light on is not an option.
It doesn't seem to be a problem with driving at night, its just making out silhouettes that seems more difficult. My optician said it was just onset of middle age, but do any other coffin dodgers out there find that their eyesight has changed in this way?
Why don't we have a health forum on here for us hypochondriac types?
It doesn't seem to be a problem with driving at night, its just making out silhouettes that seems more difficult. My optician said it was just onset of middle age, but do any other coffin dodgers out there find that their eyesight has changed in this way?
Why don't we have a health forum on here for us hypochondriac types?
Is your close (reading) vision getting worse? It should be, and low light makes it seem worse.
-8.5 wow that's some strength, I'm short sighted but -3.0, and correct that with contacts. But when the reading vision starts to get worse I'll have to wear glasses on top the contacts to read haha.
There was a piece on the news the other night about people with poor night vision complaining about the new eco light bulbs, because proper bulbs will no longer be sold after October or so - to ensure saving the planet, so they'll all be stuffed with regard to night time reading etc.
-8.5 wow that's some strength, I'm short sighted but -3.0, and correct that with contacts. But when the reading vision starts to get worse I'll have to wear glasses on top the contacts to read haha.
There was a piece on the news the other night about people with poor night vision complaining about the new eco light bulbs, because proper bulbs will no longer be sold after October or so - to ensure saving the planet, so they'll all be stuffed with regard to night time reading etc.
lost in espace said:
I am rapidly approaching my 40th this year and I have noticed a decline in my night vision, finding that I am really struggling to see when the light levels are low. I am very short sighted (-8.5) but my eyes have always been great in every other respect, and I have no problem with day vision. Its a right PITA when I have to go in to the kids bedroom at night to change nappies and turning a light on is not an option.
It doesn't seem to be a problem with driving at night, its just making out silhouettes that seems more difficult. My optician said it was just onset of middle age, but do any other coffin dodgers out there find that their eyesight has changed in this way?
Why don't we have a health forum on here for us hypochondriac types?
Yup, I'm fifty and my eyesight has worsened. It doesn't seem to be a problem with driving at night, its just making out silhouettes that seems more difficult. My optician said it was just onset of middle age, but do any other coffin dodgers out there find that their eyesight has changed in this way?
Why don't we have a health forum on here for us hypochondriac types?
deeps said:
Is your close (reading) vision getting worse? It should be, and low light makes it seem worse.
-8.5 wow that's some strength, I'm short sighted but -3.0, and correct that with contacts. But when the reading vision starts to get worse I'll have to wear glasses on top the contacts to read haha.
There was a piece on the news the other night about people with poor night vision complaining about the new eco light bulbs, because proper bulbs will no longer be sold after October or so - to ensure saving the planet, so they'll all be stuffed with regard to night time reading etc.
Nope my short vision is perfect, I think because of being so short sighted I will not need bifocals, I have a vague memory of some optician telling me this. Building a new house and just bought a grands worth of energy saving bulbs, might need a white stick to see my way around it.-8.5 wow that's some strength, I'm short sighted but -3.0, and correct that with contacts. But when the reading vision starts to get worse I'll have to wear glasses on top the contacts to read haha.
There was a piece on the news the other night about people with poor night vision complaining about the new eco light bulbs, because proper bulbs will no longer be sold after October or so - to ensure saving the planet, so they'll all be stuffed with regard to night time reading etc.
Tony*T3 said:
Lazered. Eye sight of a hawk.
Best money ever spent.
41 years old.
I have looked at the laser, but I have to have the flappy cut and flipped over, then laser, then flappy put back type. Sounds a bit nasty, and along with the dry eyes you can suffer from due to your eye no longer being perfectly round, has always put me off.Best money ever spent.
41 years old.
But perhaps its time to go under the knife. Now where is the laser eye thread...
I had my eyes lasered. 20/20 vision. How ever the surgeon told me taht when people get to about 50, their close vision starts to go off. It's a completely different condition to short sightedness and caused by you iris (I think) not being able to open enough to allow for the poor light conditions.
He said I would need reading glasses. He was right as well, which is a bit of a pain. That s why they make bi focals for old gits.
Pants, getting old.
Cost me over a grand a side as well. You can get it for about £325 a side nowadays.
He said I would need reading glasses. He was right as well, which is a bit of a pain. That s why they make bi focals for old gits.
Pants, getting old.
Cost me over a grand a side as well. You can get it for about £325 a side nowadays.
Edited by andygo on Wednesday 28th January 16:49
lost in espace said:
I am rapidly approaching my 40th this year and I have noticed a decline in my night vision, finding that I am really struggling to see when the light levels are low. I am very short sighted (-8.5) but my eyes have always been great in every other respect, and I have no problem with day vision. Its a right PITA when I have to go in to the kids bedroom at night to change nappies and turning a light on is not an option.
It doesn't seem to be a problem with driving at night, its just making out silhouettes that seems more difficult. My optician said it was just onset of middle age, but do any other coffin dodgers out there find that their eyesight has changed in this way?
Why don't we have a health forum on here for us hypochondriac types?
My night/low light vision started going in my late thirties. Any close work in anything less than bright sunlight is a real pain in the arse. You will find, though, that the worst of the problem is actually the time taken for your eyes to adjust to new light level...MUCH longer than when I was twenty.It doesn't seem to be a problem with driving at night, its just making out silhouettes that seems more difficult. My optician said it was just onset of middle age, but do any other coffin dodgers out there find that their eyesight has changed in this way?
Why don't we have a health forum on here for us hypochondriac types?
Makes night driving any sort of distance very unpleasant as every oncoming car reduces the ability to see dramatically...unlit motorway is the very devil.
heebeegeetee said:
On the laser front, (which i'm not interested in btw), i can understand how the procedure can remedy faulty eyeballs, 
, but how do they affect changing eyeballs, which is basically what happens to 'em as you get old?
I realise lasering will not sort the changes to my eyesight. But the joy of no glasses without contacts, which I don't get on with due to dry eyes would be fab., but how do they affect changing eyeballs, which is basically what happens to 'em as you get old?heebeegeetee said:
On the laser front, (which i'm not interested in btw), i can understand how the procedure can remedy faulty eyeballs, , but how do they affect changing eyeballs, which is basically what happens to 'em as you get old?
The changes would be the same I guess, so instead of upping a corrective lense strength from say -3.0 to -3.25 over the course of a year, you would have to put up with -0.25 vision loss or wear correction again., but how do they affect changing eyeballs, which is basically what happens to 'em as you get old?I wonder if they can laser an eye again, say after two years from the original laser correction? Doubt it.
I understand that once they have lasered your eyes, thats it. Should basically last forever.
They way it was explained it to me was that the surface underneath the clear front of your eye is like an orange - all bumpy. The laser gets rid of the lumpy bits and makes your eye roound. Its a bit like looking through a cut glass vase - the light refracts all ove t he place.
Once those bits have been smoothed out, your sorted.
Short sight caused by getting old and, well, fubarred, as I said earlier, is a completely different issue.
Google it. I am sure someone will explain it far more elegantly than me.
http://www.mdsupport.org/library/degenmyopia.html
They way it was explained it to me was that the surface underneath the clear front of your eye is like an orange - all bumpy. The laser gets rid of the lumpy bits and makes your eye roound. Its a bit like looking through a cut glass vase - the light refracts all ove t he place.
Once those bits have been smoothed out, your sorted.
Short sight caused by getting old and, well, fubarred, as I said earlier, is a completely different issue.
Google it. I am sure someone will explain it far more elegantly than me.
http://www.mdsupport.org/library/degenmyopia.html
lost in espace said:
I am rapidly approaching my 40th this year and I have noticed a decline in my night vision, finding that I am really struggling to see when the light levels are low. I am very short sighted (-8.5) but my eyes have always been great in every other respect, and I have no problem with day vision. Its a right PITA when I have to go in to the kids bedroom at night to change nappies and turning a light on is not an option.
It doesn't seem to be a problem with driving at night, its just making out silhouettes that seems more difficult. My optician said it was just onset of middle age, but do any other coffin dodgers out there find that their eyesight has changed in this way?
Why don't we have a health forum on here for us hypochondriac types?
I'm 52 and needed glasses for reading for a few years now. I have however noticed my eyesight has got markedly worse over the last year or two. The optician says it's normal as you get older, I find it a bit depressing especially as my wife who is older than me can still read without wearing glasses. It doesn't seem to be a problem with driving at night, its just making out silhouettes that seems more difficult. My optician said it was just onset of middle age, but do any other coffin dodgers out there find that their eyesight has changed in this way?
Why don't we have a health forum on here for us hypochondriac types?
lost in espace said:
I am rapidly approaching my 40th this year and I have noticed a decline in my night vision, finding that I am really struggling to see when the light levels are low. I am very short sighted (-8.5) but my eyes have always been great in every other respect, and I have no problem with day vision. Its a right PITA when I have to go in to the kids bedroom at night to change nappies and turning a light on is not an option.
It doesn't seem to be a problem with driving at night, its just making out silhouettes that seems more difficult. My optician said it was just onset of middle age, but do any other coffin dodgers out there find that their eyesight has changed in this way?
Why don't we have a health forum on here for us hypochondriac types?
There will be a couple of potential causes for what you are experiencing.It doesn't seem to be a problem with driving at night, its just making out silhouettes that seems more difficult. My optician said it was just onset of middle age, but do any other coffin dodgers out there find that their eyesight has changed in this way?
Why don't we have a health forum on here for us hypochondriac types?
As we get older the transparent surfaces within our eyes get less so, so reducing our vision, creating glare and reflection. This will manifest itself in lots of ways to different people. Having said that you're not really old enough for that to be noticeable yet but obviously we are all slightly different.
What you are describing covers 3 aspects of your vision.
Good daylight vision relies on an accurate spectacle prescription
(is it? has it been checked recently? If you have been going to the same place for ages it just might be worth getting a "second opinion" on your prescription and the way your specs are made up - this is more relevant with your prescription than with most)
and your retinal cones. This seems to be ok from what you say
Low light vision is based on your prescription (which in theory can be slightly different with differing wavelengths of light, again high prescriptions suffer more. This is not something that usually causes much issue mind) and your retinal rods. No rods in your central vision so don't look at something to see as well as you can.
Some peoples' dark adaptation (the rate at which the rods unbleach so you can see at night) does deteriorate more than others but realistically other than measuring it and telling you its slow there is not a lot that can be done. In your case a slightly undercorrected prescription which you may not notice in the day time you will notice at night so again get it checked.
Third is your contrast perception - normal eye examination charts run at 100% (or as good as) so black on white. Sadly the world is not like that and any of the age related transparency issues will affect your vision for low contrast images more than high. This may be part of your problem.
If you are in optometry university town (Birmingham, Norwich, Manchester, London, Cardiff, Glasgow or Belfast) they would have great fun with you measuring all there is to measure and you may get a few answers as to why you feel your vision is the way it is but possibly not what can practically be done to help - oh and don't forget eager and willing 3rd year students....
Unfortunately the above doesn't give you much practical help but a few pointers maybe. If are sufficienlty concerned ask your GP or optom to get you refered to ophthalmology who will have a look around and maybe wire you up to a few things and give their opinion too.
Oh and you will need reading glasses just not quite as soon as you would without your -8 prescription - you don't get out of it that easily!
andygo said:
I understand that once they have lasered your eyes, thats it. Should basically last forever.
Sadly Andy no. It may not go to anything like you started with but my experience tells me that 5-6 years post op prescriptions tend to regress a little to the extent where you may need a distance glasses again.As you say reading glasses are something different again.
It can be a really good few years and a bit of help to drive would be nothing compared to the preop prescription. Nothing is forever as they say!
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