• Question: Why does eye sight worsen as you get older?

    Asked by bethj to Carolyn, Peter, Richard, Sara, Siana on 16 Nov 2015. This question was also asked by lou_lou_67.
    • Photo: Richard Unwin

      Richard Unwin answered on 16 Nov 2015:

      Eyesight can get worse for a number of reasons. people can develop cataracts, where the lens at the front of the eye goes cloudy, or they can develop diseases like Age-related macular degeneration, where damage to the retina at the back of the eye can stop you from seeing (and is indeed the leading cause of blindness), or you can just go long or short-sighted, as the muscles that help the eye to focus get a little weaker and a little less stretchy, just like the muscles elsewhere in the body.

Comments