Certified optometrist Dr . Eric Johnson of Eye Clinic of Meridian performs routine examination .
ALL EYES ON YOU
Routine exams essential
for eye care over 50
By Glenda Sanders , contributing writer • Photos by Trenton Steele
By the time they are age 50 , most adults will have noticed
slight changes with their vision . Maybe they have trouble focusing and need to hold reading materials far away to see them . Words may look blurry in dim light . Women , in particular , may struggle with dry , itchy eyes .
Good eye care for older adults starts with regular eye examinations that can identify early signs of disease and vision changes that can begin , sometimes without any symptoms , said Dr . Eric Johnson , a certified optometrist with Eye Clinic of Meridian .
It is best to have a baseline examination by age 40 with regular eye visits every year or two depending on your age or eye conditions once you reach age 50 .
“ After the age of 50 , you have a lot of conditions that start to come into play that typically do not show up before the age of 50 , like cataracts , glaucoma and macular degeneration ,” he noted . “ These are things that you can ’ t feel , and you may never notice .”
Just like the body , a person ’ s eyes and vision change over time , too . As you grow older , more light may be needed to see as well .
10 • TIMELESS MERIDIAN