An Eye on Falls
Posted on March 1, 2013 by bob in Moving Free
Is your vision putting you at risk for a deadly fall? The answer may surprise you. Falls are a leading cause of death in older adults. Do you really want to go out with that kind of a bang? Not being able to notice a hazard that causes a fall is a problem that sneaks up on you. The quality of our vision diminishes slowly with age and often goes unnoticed. Or, we may just rationalize our symptoms away.
Starting at around 40 years old, the lenses in our eyes become less elastic, making it difficult to focus up close. We eventually admit it and fix the problem with reading glasses. But that’s just the beginning.
Around 50 we may think there’s not enough light in a room, or daylight conditions are immediately too bright when we go outside. In fact, our pupils have gotten smaller, and our ability to adjust to changing light has diminished with age. So we require more light indoors, and transitions from dim to bright conditions become more difficult. We don’t usually think of aging eyesight as the cause, so it’s easy to shrug off.
As we get older contrast perception also diminishes, making it harder to perceive stairs, curbs and other dangers. We blame shadows or glare. And worsening vision throws off our balance and proprioception (knowing where our bodies are in space). Combine imperfect vision with age-related orthopedic issues and we’re set up for a life-altering, or life-ending, event.
Most of the time the vision problem is easily corrected with a visit to an ophthalmologist and prescription for glasses. And if you do have a more serious issue, it can be detected and treated before vision loss occurs or gets worse. But remember, it sneaks up on you. So get a checkup even if you don’t think you need one.
Mirabai Holland M.F.A. is a leading authority in the Health & Fitness industry and a public health activist specializing in preventive and rehabilitative exercise. Her Moving Free® approach to exercise is designed to provide a movement experience so pleasant it doesn’t feel like work (www.mirabaiholland.com).
