Having Trouble Seeing?

I have several conditions that I am conscious of and manage regularly, carefully, with exercise and diet. A new one I’ve noticed recently is not being able to see as well. Yes, I’ve worn progressive lenses for years and I have my annual ophthalmologist exam. No problem with cataracts or any eye illnesses.

So why do I say, and hear others saying often, “I don’t see well at night?” For me it has to do with lights and a lack of ability to judge distances. (Is that car in the near rear lane or the one over?) I have decided that I am no longer saying, “I don’t like to drive at night,” but rather “I don’t drive at night.”

The other day I had an encounter with a policeman who righteously wrote me a ticket. (It was not for speeding!) When I got past my initial shock, I thought: Why did I not see him? I wasn’t going fast. Do I need to get my eyes rechecked? Is my brain not processing quickly enough?

So I consulted Google. I was glad to read that it is the eye muscles that cause problems as we age. Pupils shrink and react more slowly, making it harder to distinguish glaring lights. Decreased flexibility in the lenses slows the shifting of perspective from a direction you’re focusing one to what is happening peripherally. It can even be difficult to differentiate black from navy. (Your Aging Eyes, newsinhealth.nih.gov).

I guess I was pleased to learn that I am aging “normally.” My health concerns are included in “What’s Normal Aging?” (Webmd.com) Yet so many things to be mindful of!

As I was feeling really low about myself after last week’s encounter, I heard a friend say, “When you’re juggling six balls and you drop one, don’t stop. Let it go and keep going.”

I think aging is a lot like that. So I will go a little slower and try a bit harder.