PROTECTING EYESIGHT WITH AGE THROUGH GOOD LIGHT

NEW WAYS TO AVOID THE DIMINISHED EYESIGHT
THAT COMES WITH GROWING OLDER

A WHITE PAPER

Every day approximately 8,000 people turn 60 in the United States and most say they don't see things quite as clearly as they did when they were younger.

The anecdotal evidence is validated by the official statistics:

o More than six million Americans over age 65 already have serious visual impairment.

o The National Eye Institute says the risk of low vision and even blindness increases significantly with age, starting when we're in our 40s.

o A National Health Interview Survey indicates that while just five in one hundred Americans under 44 years of age reported vision loss, that number grew to 12 in a hundred for those 45-64 and climbed to almost fourteen out of one hundred for those 65-74. By the time we're over 75, nearly 22 in a hundred of us have vision loss.

The good news is that a few common-sense steps can help most seniors to continue to see well.

One of the surest ways to maintain vision and guard against deterioration is to make sure you have good light available at all times – whether you are reading a book, performing a simple task or working on a detailed hobby or craft project.

Good light – the light that most resembles natural daylight – not only makes it more enjoyable and less tiring to do common activities, it decreases the risk of falls and fractures. And, good light helps people to identify medications correctly, lowering the likelihood of drug-related errors.

Switching out the ordinary light bulbs in your lamps can help. Attractive and functional full-spectrum bulbs and lamps are now available that are well-suited for use by older people because they emit light that is very similar to natural sunlight.

The Daylight Company™ , a global supplier of high quality lighting products, has developed a line of full-spectrum light bulbs that are ideal for older readers because they guarantee perfect color rendering, reduce eye strain and glare, and help people see details and small print more easily. An added bonus: they use safe, low heat technology, require 80% less electricity and last 10 times longer than ordinary bulbs.

"Using the right light will let you read or work for hours and your eyes will still feel fresh," says Maarten Wermers, Director of Marketing for The Daylight Company. "With the full-spectrum Daylight™ technology you won't get headaches or red eyes. These bulbs make seeing as relaxing and natural as a walk in the park."

Here are additional suggestions for seeing better as you advance in years:

o To start with, do your reading and task work in bright light and avoid working in dim light. The reason is that bright light causes the pupils of the eyes to contract and therefore to focus much better, which is less tiring. The older we grow, the brighter the light we need for reading and tasks.

o If just changing bulbs in your current lamps doesn't help and you are still straining to see the words on a page or the details of a task, you may solve the problem if you invest in a good quality desk or reading lamp that will provide ample lighting.


The Daylight Floor Lamp includes magnifier and bright light.
The Daylight Company offers a full line of floor lamps that can be used in almost any room in the house. They are easily moved to where they are needed. Most are height adjustable and will swivel so you can direct the light exactly where you need it. And, they use full-spectrum Daylight™ bulbs to ensure clear lighting for reading and working in optimal comfort. Several models come equipped with a magnifying lens that can be moved easily to exactly where you need it.

The Daylight™ Floor Lamp (U23030-01) features a unique 'Easy-Twist' mechanism that lets you move the head effortlessly and direct the light exactly where you need it. In addition to the magnifying lens, the lamp comes with a flicker free 18-watt Daylight™ energy saving tube that gives off the equivalent of 100 watts and can be used for reading, craft projects, or as a stylish fixture in your living room.


Daylight "Easy Twist" Table Top Lamp with full spectrum light and built-in magnifier.
Another lamp that is combined with a magnifier is the Daylight Table Top Lamp (U23020-01), which can be used on any flat surface to give you bright light plus the magnification you need, where you need it. A weighted base keeps the lamp stable and safe, and the Easy-Twist feature makes it simple to aim light and magnification where you want.

The Ultimate Floorstanding Lamp, (U21078-01) is both stylish and functional, with a removable magnifier, flexible head and a 20-watt Daylight™ bulb that provides the equivalent of 100 watts of powerful full-spectrum light. It's fully height adjustable and comes with a unique removable tray to hold crafts or a book with dust cover, a special clamp to hold a pattern or project, and a magnifier to make fine details easily visible. Six optional wheels help you to move it anywhere it's needed.

The Naturalight Hobby-Craft Table Lamp.

A good, value-priced, small lamp for working on crafts or other projects is the Hobby-Craft Table Lamp (UN1062) from Naturalight™, the Daylight Company's value line. With its flexible arm to direct the full-spectrum light exactly where you need it, this lamp is ideal for reading and working in comfort.

Even when you are not reading or working you should be attentive to proper light that is easier on the eyes. It's a good idea to watch television in a lighted room, but be sure that the light does not reflect off the screen or cause glare. You can easily check for glare or reflection with the television screen dark.

Whatever lamp or bulbs you choose, protecting your vision has more than just practical implications -- it's also part of staying safe and healthy. You will tire much less than you do while reading in low light, when your eyes have to work harder to separate the words from the page. Good light relieves that strain on your eye muscles and eases general fatigue.

Proper light is also a safety issue – misreading a label on a medicine bottle or a doctor's instruction, for example, can have serious consequences.

But most of all, seeing as well can help improve your quality of life, your enjoyment of a good book or the ability to complete a craft project.

So, take care of your eyes – and always be sure to shed good light on the subject, whatever it is.

Further Information & Resources:

Steps to Protect Your Eyesight

 Have your eyes checked regularly by an eye care professional—either an ophthalmologist or optometrist. People over age 65 should have yearly eye exams. During this exam, the eye care professional should put drops in your eyes that will widen (dilate) your pupils so that he or she can look at your inner eye. This is the only way to see some common eye diseases that have no early signs or symptoms. If you wear glasses, your prescription should be checked, too.
 See your doctor regularly to check for diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure. These diseases can cause eye problems if not treated.
 See an eye care professional right away if you:
 Suddenly cannot see or everything looks dim;
 See flashes of light;
 Have eye pain;
 Experience double vision;
 Have redness or swelling of your eye or eyelid
 Protect your eyes from too much sunlight by wearing sunglasses that block ultraviolet (UV) radiation and a hat with a wide brim when you are outside.

The National Institutes of Health
http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/eyes.htm
Aging and Your Eyes
Are you holding the newspaper farther away from your eyes than you used to? Join the crowd—age can bring changes that affect your eyesight. Some changes are more serious than others, but for many problems, there are things you can do to protect your vision. The key is to have regular eye exams so you can spot problems early.

National Eye Institute31 Center Drive MSC 2510
Bethesda, MD 20892-2510
1-301-496-5248
www.nei.nih.gov

National Institute on Aging
Information Center
P.O. Box 8057
Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8057
1-800-222-2225 (toll-free)
1-800-222-4225 (TTY/toll-free)
www.nia.nih.gov
www.nia.nih.gov/Espanol
To order publications (in English or Spanish) or sign up for regular email alerts about new publications and other information from the NIA, go to www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation.
Visit NIHSeniorHealth (www.nihseniorhealth.gov), a senior-friendly website from the National Institute on Aging and the National Library of Medicine. This website has health information for older adults. There are also special features that make it simple to use. For example, you can click on a button to have the text read out loud or to make the type larger.


About Daylight™
The Daylight Company™ is the leading manufacturer of high quality magnifying and specialty task lamps and bulbs. Daylight technology is energy efficient, reduces eye strain, improves contrast and allows users to enjoy true colors with optimal comfort and durability. Daylight products provide an unequalled array of features to serve industrial, arts and crafts, health and beauty, senior citizen and low-vision users. The Daylight Company maintains offices in the U.S., the U.K., and Australia plus European countries. For further information visit us on the web at .

Was this helpful? 0 0 Comments

You're reading PROTECTING EYESIGHT WITH AGE THROUGH GOOD LIGHT.