Just like any other part of your body, your eyes age as you get older. In honor of Healthy Aging Month, here are a few tips to help keep your eyes healthy as you age.

• Visit your eye care practitioner - comprehensive eye exams are recommended on a regular basis for adults and those who frequently use computers. For those 65 and older, as well as those with family history of eye disease, it is advised that you visit your eye care practitioner more frequently. To find an eye care practitioner near you, please click here.
• Follow the 20-20-20 rule - if you frequently use computers, be sure to take a 20 second break after every 20 minutes of use. Stare at something approximately 20 feet away - this will allow your eyes to relax.
• Stay up to date on the normal aging process for your eyes - continuously monitor your health and be aware of the normal changes to your eyes that occur with age. For a reference on vision conditions and eye health problems that commonly occur in older adults, please click here.

One of the most common changes to your vision as you age is an increased difficulty in performing near-vision tasks, like reading and close work. This is known as presbyopia, the worsening of vision that occurs with age. As you age, the lenses in your eyes thicken and lose their elasticity, and the muscles surrounding the lenses weaken. Presbyopia can be corrected with multifocal contact lenses or glasses. For more information on presbyopia, please click here.