You Might Be Ignoring This Key Part Of Aging — Here’s Why You Shouldn’t
When it comes to aging well, clear vision isn’t just a bonus, it’s foundational. From staying physically active to feeling confident and connected, your eye health plays a central role in how you experience the world as you age.
Despite being one of the most critical aspects to living well, eye health rarely gets the spotlight it deserves.
Since September is Healthy Aging Month, we at mindbodygreen are taking time to reevaluate the habits, routines, and care practices that help us feel our best as we grow older. And we’re bringing eye health into focus with the help of VSP Vision™.
In our guide, learn about how eye health is a key part of your overall well-being, what changes you can expect as you get older, and how to better support your eye health no matter your age.
Vision health impacts healthy aging
When we think of caring for our bodies, we tend to think of mobility, cognition, or even the skin. While these are obviously key aspects of aging, we need to pay closer attention to vision and eye health.
Why? The eyes are deeply connected to nearly every aspect of your overall health. In fact, research shows that poor vision is associated with a variety of adverse health outcomes:
- Poor vision can increase the risk of fall and injuries. It also can make it harder to stay active, which can lead to reduced mobility and other health concerns.
- Studies have shown there’s a connection between vision impairment and cognitive decline.
- Research indicates that vision difficulties can even contribute to social withdrawal, isolation, and poorer mental health.
- Overall, studies show that vision impairment in older adults can result in reduced independence and lower quality of life1.
Of course, the opposite can also be true: Proactively caring for your eyes can help you stay active, engaged, and confident. In other words, supporting eye health contributes to supporting your whole health.
Be informed about common vision changes
Some degree of vision change is a natural part of aging, but that doesn’t mean it has to catch you off guard. Here are a few common shifts to be aware of:
- Presbyopia: As we age, the lens of the eye gradually stiffens, making it harder to focus on nearby objects—a condition called presbyopia2. It’s a nearly universal part of aging, typically showing up after age 45 and stabilizing around 65. You might notice yourself holding books or menus at arm’s length, needing brighter light to read comfortably, or feeling eye strain and headaches after doing close-up tasks.
- Dry eyes: As we age, tear production naturally slows down. In addition, the tears we do produce may evaporate more quickly due to an imbalance of oil, water, and mucus. This can lead to symptoms like burning, grittiness (a “sand in the eye” sensation), and redness. Blurry vision, especially at the end of the day or after screen use, is also common.
- Increased sensitivity to light: Changes in the eye’s lens and pupil response can make it harder to adjust between light and dark environments. This heightened sensitivity—especially to glare—can make bright sunlight or headlights at night feel particularly harsh or uncomfortable.
- Difficulty with night vision: The pupils dilate more slowly in the dark and the retina becomes less sensitive to low light, making it harder to see clearly in dim or shadowy environments. Driving at night, in particular, may feel more stressful.
- Cataracts: A clouding of the eye’s natural lens, cataracts can develop slowly and subtly—but impact clarity and color perception over time. Colors may seem faded, halos may appear around lights, and sensitivity to glare often increases.
- Perimenopause or menopause changes: During perimenopause and menopause, hormonal changes may affect vision for women. These changes may contribute to dry eyes, blurred vision, fluctuating prescription strength, or eye fatigue.
Knowing what to expect helps you stay ahead of potential issues, and respond with care instead of concern.
Strategies for protecting your vision as you age
Whether you're in your 30s, 40s, 50s, or beyond, it's never too early—or too late!—to prioritize eye health.
With these actionable, research-backed tips, you can help support your sight for the long haul:
Book annual eye exams
Regular eye exams with an eye doctor can help detect vision changes, monitor eye health, and catch early signs of conditions like glaucoma or macular degeneration—even before symptoms show up.
And your eyes can reveal a lot more than just your prescription. In fact, an eye exam can help eye doctors spot signs of up to 270 underlying health issues, from high blood pressure to diabetes. Think of it as a check-in for your whole-body health.
Nourish your eyes from the inside out
Diet can play an important role in eye health, so be sure to eat a nutrient-dense diet. Pay special attention to nutrients that directly impact eye health:
- Vitamin A helps overall eye health, particularly low-light vision.
- Lutein and zeaxanthin helps protect against oxidative damage and age-related degeneration.
- Omega-3s helps ease dry eye and support retina health.
Get more clarity at every distance
It’s important to consider vision health at every range—near, far, and middle distance included.
As we age, vision changes can affect our ability to see things both close up and in the distance. Having the right type of lens in your glasses can help maintain overall eye comfort, reduce eye strain, and help you see better. Progressive lenses are a great option as they incorporate both your distance and close up prescriptions all in a single pair of glasses. This means there's no need for multiple pairs of glasses and no suffering with the visible line found with bifocals.
Compared to traditional bifocal or trifocal lenses, progressive lenses aim to reduce blurriness when moving between near, intermediate, and distance vision zones.
If you are considering progressive lenses, it's important to know that not all progressive lenses are created equal. Some require an adjustment period to get used to the lenses. While you adjust, you may feel dizzy or objects may feel out of focus.
Take advantage of advanced lens technology
New innovative technology means dramatic improvements in wearability and comfort.
By taking your unique prescription and preferences into account, Unity® V3 Progressive Lenses can help give you clearer vision at every distance.
Here’s how: Unity V3 Progressive Lenses utilize an AI-powered algorithm that uses behavioral data pulled from gaze patterns (how people uniquely look at things in their environment) to help create a more comfortable fit and help you see more clearly near, far, and everywhere in-between.
This makes the lenses easier to adjust to, reducing the chance of experiencing discomfort, dizziness, headaches, and other side effects that can come with new progressive lenses. Unity V3 Progressive Lenses can help you see more clearly and comfortably at any distance with precision that's tailored just for you.
Give your eyes a break
Between screens, bright lights, and nonstop multitasking, your eyes are working overtime. Here’s an easy fix: The 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. It may help ease digital eye strain—especially important for people still in screen-heavy work environments.
Get sleep
Sleep isn’t just a rest for your body—it’s recovery for your eyes. During sleep, your eyes replenish moisture and repair from daily strain. Poor sleep can worsen dry eyes, increase light sensitivity, and even impact visual processing.
Aim for 7–9 hours a night, and power down screens at least an hour before bed to support deeper rest.
Protect your eyes
UV exposure can damage your eyes just like your skin. UV rays can cause sunburn of the cornea, eye redness, and eye irritation. Prolonged UV exposure can also increase the risk of cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and even eyelid cancer. Opt for accessories that have UV protection. Your sunglasses should have a UV400 or 100% UV protection label.
Try photochromic lenses, which offer 100% UV protection and darken when exposed to sunlight, like SunSync® Light-Reactive Lenses. Go from indoors to outdoors without having to swap your specs—they adjust to the light conditions around you in almost seconds.
For additional protection, hats with brims can offer added coverage.
The takeaway
Aging well isn’t about reversing the clock. At mindbodygreen, we believe it’s about protecting what matters: your energy, your independence, and your ability to fully participate in a life you love. Vision care is a vital part of that equation.
By being proactive about your eye health—from scheduling regular eye exams to exploring advanced lens technology like Unity® V3 Progressive Lenses—you’re investing in more than just sharper vision. You’re investing in longevity, confidence, and a connected future.
