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How Many Times Do Eyes Change in a Lifetime?

Ever wonder what kind of changes that your eyes will undergo throughout your lifetime? You'll be surprised at how your eyes change as you get older. Here's a quick overview of what you can expect.

1. The Elementary and Teen Years

This is the period where you start to develop excellent hand-eye coordination. At the same time, vision problems are often diagnosed in these years. In fact, around nine percent of children between the elementary and teenage years develop nearsightedness or myopia.

This is also the stage where eye health can be severely impacted by the use of digital devices (laptops, desktops, TV, smartphones, etc.) Extended exposure to blue light can damage the eyes over time. They can result in young people developing myopia faster than they normally would.

2. Adult Years

Starting from the age of 19 to 40 is when most people experience stable vision. They have identified any existing eye problems and will have likely taken measures to correct or account for them. Even though the eyes have fully developed at this point, adults are still at risk.

Exposing your eyes to the sun and blue light can affect eye health and vision. It's advised to use protection when using digital devices and sunglasses when it is sunny. People with coloured eyes need to protect their eyes as they are more susceptible to eye issues when they get older. Most people will not experience many changes during these years.

3. Mature Years

Starting from the age of 40, people can expect to see the effects of the eyes ageing. People often report that their ability to focus has decreased. Some people will also experience their eyes drying out.

This usually requires the use of reading glasses during work or lubricating eye drops for dry eyes. You want to be aware of vision deterioration, increased number of floaters, or distortion during these years.

4. Senior Years

The senior years are when people start to experience the most dramatic changes. Starting from the age of 60, you may have to deal with myopia, issues with focusing, and floaters. To maintain good eye health, you should visit your eye doctor more regularly during your senior years.

This is also the age when you are at risk of developing macular degeneration and cataracts. Spotting these eye issues early is important as better eye health management and treatments can go a long way in preserving your vision.

Overall, eyes will change around three to five times throughout your lifetime. You'll typically experience changes in adolescence, early adulthood, mature, and senior years. Of course, you should still visit your eye even if you do not see any drastic changes.

It's recommended that you see an optometrist every five years during your adult years, every three years in your mature years, and every one to two years during your senior years. If you're looking for a reliable optometrist in the Calgary area, visit urbaneyecare.ca for more information.

Other Ways Eyes Can Change

Your eyes can also change in other ways starting from an early age. As your eyes grow, you may see the shape of your eyes change. They may get bigger as you start to get older up until adulthood. Getting older can also affect how your eyes look due to sagging skin and the reduction of facial bone size.

Another interesting thing to observe is that eye colour can change in young children. Children with light eyes can start out with light eyes but end up with darker eyes as they get older. There may also be a loss of colour in seniors, and eyes may turn very light blue or even gray. This is usually a sign of eye health issues.