The most common eye diseases in old age

Tear production decreases with increasing age, and the tear film composition changes. In dry eyes, known medically as sicca syndrome, the cornea and conjunctiva are not adequately coated with tear fluid. This causes unpleasant and even painful symptoms such as:

• burning eyes
• itchy eyes
• red eyes
• tenderness of the eyes
• foreign body sensation
• increased sensitivity to light
• blurred vision

The severity of dry eyes often increases with advancing age. This is due, among other things, to the fact that elderly people suffer more often from certain diseases that promote the drying out of the eyes. Diabetes mellitus and rheumatism, for example, are often associated with dry eyes. Hormonal changes during menopause can also be responsible for women suffering increasingly from sicca syndrome.

During menopause, many women experience typical symptoms, such as hot flushes and sweats. But what many do not know: Mucous membranes also undergo alterations as a result of hormonal changes and the reduced production of oestrogen, which becomes noticeable through dry eyes, among other things. 

The lacrimal glands then produce less fluid. The remaining quantity of tears is usually not sufficant enough to lubricate the eyes sufficiently. Furthermore, the composition of the tear film can change in general. If, for example, the lipid layer that stabilises the tear film is no longer formed properly, then the tear film ruptures more quickly and the eyes dry out.

Many people take dry eyes as an eye complaint lightly and dismiss them as normal signs of old age. Yet if left untreated, this can result in increased infections because the defence against pathogens is weakened. In addition, minor injuries to the corneal surface develop, which can result in scarring and blurred vision. That is why dry eyes should be treated by an eye specialist in order to maintain healthy eyes for as long as possible.