All of our sensory organs are indispensible to us and the sense of sight is highly prized and valued. Therefore, it is only natural for people to get all worked up, at the slightest hint of trouble with their vision. Unfortunately, as you age, you need to be prepared for some degree of decline in your senses. Studies indicate that eyesight is one of the first senses that gets affected, when people grow older. Hence, it can be said that the aging eye is one of the first symptoms of the aging process. There are four main eye conditions that can affect your eyes once you cross the age of 40. These conditions include:

Cataract

1. Cataract
The lens of your eye is normally clear, but if you see some clouding over, it could be a sign of cataract. This condition takes a while to develop and in the beginning it will not disturb your vision too much. People who do have cataract state that looking through a lens that has been clouded over, is a lot like looking through a glass that has been frosted. Hence, if you do suffer from cataract, it is quite likely for you to have difficulty in reading, seeing far off objects or even recognizing people at a slight distance, especially during the night. Therefore, activities like driving a car should be strictly avoided after sunset. As the condition progresses, it could interfere with your vision to a great extent. The most effective way of dealing with a cataract that affects the aging eye, is by undergoing cataract surgery.

2. Glaucoma Eye Disease
More than an eye disease, Glaucoma refers to a whole group of eye conditions, which are generally the result of optic nerve damage. In case the pressure in your eye is on the higher side, there is a high possibility that you may suffer from glaucoma as you age. This is a serious condition, as it is the second leading cause of blindness in people. Unfortunately, most people do not notice the loss of vision, till this disease reaches an advanced stage. Therefore, people are strongly advised to visit the doctor regularly and take steps to prevent this condition from occurring.

3. Diabetic Retinopathy
At times, the presence of diabetes can cause damage to the blood vessels that are in the light sensitive tissues in the retina. In the initial stages you may not be able to tell that something is wrong, since it causes only mild vision problems. However, in the later stages, this condition can also lead to blindness. In case you suffer from Diabetes, it is best for you to control your blood sugar levels, to avoid this condition.

4. Dry Macular Degeneration
This is a chronic eye disease, which could lead to vision loss right in the center of your field of vision. Although it does not lead to blindness it will lead to a blind spot in the center of your vision, which will prevent you from performing several tasks like reading, driving, and so on. There is no known treatment for this condition, though there are several lifestyle changes that you could make to ensure that you lead a normal life.