How Vision Problems Can Affect Elderly Drivers

Thanks to advances in modern medicine, the average person is living longer than ever before, which means there are more older drivers on the road. But if you are over 60, your eyesight probably is not as good as it once was. Age-related vision changes that commonly affect senior drivers include: decreased ability to clearly see road signs and/or objects up close, like the instrument panel or road maps; changes in color perception; difficulty judging distances and speed; slower reaction times; loss of peripheral vision; problems seeing in low light or nighttime conditions; and difficulty adjusting to glare from oncoming headlights or the sun.

While these changes don't mean you have to turn in your car keys and give up your freedom, there are some simple things you can do to stay as safe as possible on the road.

Almost half of all collisions involving older drivers occur at intersections, and are commonly due to a failure to yield, especially when making a left turn. Peripheral vision decreases as we age, so turning your head and looking both ways before proceeding into an intersection will increase your vision range.
Reduce your speed, particularly when driving at night. As we age, our pupils don't dilate as quickly in the dark, which means you may have more trouble seeing at night, or you will be temporarily blinded by the glare of oncoming headlights. Whenever possible, limit your driving to daylight hours, and avoid driving on unfamiliar roads.
It's a good idea for seniors to take a driving course designed specifically for older drivers. These courses describe the physical changes that may affect driving ability as we age, and how to compensate for them. They are typically offered by the American Association of Retired Persons, driving schools, or adult education programs.
Anyone over the age of 60 should have a regular eye exam at least every two years (more often if you have certain eye conditions or other health issues which may affect eyesight). Annual exams will ensure your prescription is up to date, as well as provide early detection of developing eye problems that could affect your driving.
Avoid wearing glasses with wide frames or temples, which may restrict side vision. Ask your eye doctor about special eyeglasses, such as those with anti-reflective coatings, which can cut down on glare, or lenses developed with wavefront technology, which may reduce halos, starbursts, and glare.
Finally, as a senior driver, it's important to know your limitations. Consider limiting your driving to shorter trips during daylight hours, and leave the late-night driving duties to someone else. Leave more distance between yourself and other drivers to compensate for the decrease in reaction time.

What are you doing to preserve your ability to drive through your golden years? If you had to stop driving because of poor vision or other reasons, how would you get around without a car?

Dr. Ronald J. Martin of VisionHealth Optometry focuses on quality eye care services to family members of all ages. Services include eye exams, contact lens fittings, retinal photography, pre- and post-operative care, and glasses frames and lens selection. Dr. Martin's office is located at 1440 Medical Center Dr. Suite2, Rohnert Park, CA 94928. He can be reached at 707-206-0290 or email him at questions@vision-health.com. Visit VisionHealth Optometry online at http://www.vision-health.com/.

Dr. Martin is a member of the California Optometric Association, the American Optometric Association, the Redwood Empire Optometric Society, and the Optometry Alumni Association of the University of California.

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Does Our Ethnicity Affect Our Eyesight?

Skin color, ethnicity, nationality, and culture: they are all indicators of our future. As technology continues to grow, differences between Asian-Americans are found than that from African-Americans; studies are being conducted on the distinct characteristics of Hispanic-Americans health, versus that of Caucasian-Americans. Every one of these attributes in our life tends to affect our health, well-being, and even our general mind-sets; so it's not too far fetched to think about how exactly our ethnicity or race play a role in our eyesight. Let's discuss a little further...

After a recent study at Ohio State University, it was found that there is actually a close correlation between children's ethnicity and certain minor vision problems. According to their study, Hispanic youth were most likely to be diagnosed with having an astigmatism than any other ethnic groups researched. They also noted that it was more common for Asian-American children to be near-sighted, while Caucasian-American children suffered from farsightedness more than other ethnic groups. What is very unique is that the exact amount of Asian-American youth whom experienced near-sightedness was equal to that of the Caucasian-American children whom experienced farsightedness problems.

There are certainly other factors that play a role into our eyesight, such as diet, family history, and age. Our eyes, like any muscle in our bodies can be both exercised, as well as deteriorated. Diet is a big part of one's culture and nationality. The concepts of both diet and family history can really become an argument of nature vs. nurture. While its fairly obvious that diet can be seen as both; family history isn't always so simple because we typically see genetics are purely nature-related. However, if, for example, the majority of the family has a certain type of medical problems, it could very well be due to external reasons. Additionally, as we age our eyes and eyesight change, especially as growing children. Since the aforementioned study was done specifically on youth, it can be assumed that while the results are important and thought-provoking, changes - even slight changes - are bound to happen. Even the conductors of the study noted that the majority of children entering school are slightly farsighted, however, with time (and growth), the problem tends to dwindle away.

While it is clear that further research needs to be conducted, it is very safe to say that our ethnicity certainly exerts an influence upon the health and well-being of our eyesight. Of course it is important to always ensure that your eyeglasses prescription is up-to-date and that your eyes are checked regularly by a doctor. Eye glasses play a major role in fixing our initial optical failures; however the fact that they exist, and there is a difference between the different cultures is interesting, in and of itself. So, do you fall into the pattern of these ethnic averages?

Hillary Glaser is the Director of Marketing and Special Projects for GlassesUSA.com - the easiest way to buy glasses online. She over sees day-to-day operations for all marketing and promotions of eyeglasses for the company.

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Computer Usage and Its Affect on Eyes

In today's technology driven world, it is nearly impossible to escape using computer-screened devices for your daily tasks. You can spend hours at work in front of screen, use them at the super market, and then use an e-reader in your leisure. The importance of eye health and computer usage is becoming increasingly popular.

To begin, computer usage has not been conclusively revealed to cause permanent impairment to healthy eyes, but they are linked to eyestrain and may further issues already found in eyes. Extended computer screen use could aggravate existing conditions unaware to a patient. Regular eye exams are key, as early detection of vision weakening significantly lessens the chance of further damage. Research shows between 50% and 90% of people regularly using a computer screen have at least some symptoms of eye trouble.

The name for eye problems caused by computer use is computer vision syndrome or, CVS, which the American Optometric Association defines as "the complex of eye and vision problems related to near work that are experienced during or related to computer use." To work at a computer requires the eyes to continuously focus, align with the screen, and adjust to the computer lighting. Together these functions exert much effort from eye muscles, especially as you age and the muscles become less flexible.

Symptoms of computer vision syndrome may include, blurred vision, double vision, dry, red eyes, eye irritation, headaches, and neck and back pain.

If you are feeling any symptoms related to extended computer use, it is important to talk it over with your optician because there may be changes to your eyewear to help. For example, anti-reflective coating and tints can be put on your lenses to aid in computer usage. These lenses eliminate reflections of light from the front and back surfaces of your lenses that can cause eyestrain. Optician, Judy Powell, recommends adding a light tint to computer glasses to reduce glare caused by harsh overhead lighting and to enhance contrast. Tinted computer lenses also are recommended to block short-wavelength light emitted from computer screens that is associated with glare and eye strain. It is best to avoid over-the-counter reading glasses, for convenience, because there may be a better avenue to aid what you already use. It is best to purchase this eyewear from a knowledgeable eye care professional.

On a positive end, there are things you can do to help with CVS. For instance, it is important to have the computer settings conducive for long hours of work. The screen resolution should be set to on high so your eyes can pick on images with minimal strain. The contrast on the screen should also be set to a level that is not too dim but also not too bright because that is uncomfortable to eyes. The AOA also suggests the 20-20-20 rule for computer usage, which entails keeping the computer about 20 inches away from eyes, and every 20 seconds taking a break from the screen to look at least 20 feet away.

This article is courtesy of Simon Eye Associates and Dr. Charles Simon. For more information on eyeglasses and vision please visit our website: Simon Eye Associates

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