HHS HealthBeat (May 26, 2010)

Watching your own eyes

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Yes, your ability to see objects that are close by clearly can get worse just because you’re growing older. It’s called presbyopia, and it’s usually correctable with glasses. But this doesn’t mean every vision problem that older people have is because of aging, even though seniors might think so. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Jinan Saaddine says people need to check.

"Many major eye diseases don’t have early warning signs, and that’s why a comprehensive eye exam is important, because that’s the only way you can detect serious eye diseases." (12 seconds)

Saaddine says people can help their eye health by not smoking, wearing protective eyewear and protecting their eyes from the sun – and eating healthy and staying active.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: November 21, 2011