I don't know when it started, but when reading books or looking at phones, I unconsciously stretched my hands far away, making it difficult to see even a single WeChat message... Many middle-aged and elderly people often laugh at this and say, "Sigh, my eyes are blurred." However, this seemingly ordinary phenomenon is not necessarily just a sign of aging, but may also hide hidden dangers of eye diseases. Many people think that being old and unable to see clearly is presbyopia, but it is actually a common misconception. ”Yu Jing, a member of the Agricultural and Labor Party and deputy chief physician of the Ophthalmology Department at Beijing Tongren Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University, pointed out that presbyopia is not a disease, but a phenomenon where the ability to adjust the distance of the eye deteriorates with age. Simply put, it is the "ciliary muscle" in the eye that begins to "slack off", making people feel more powerless when looking up close. It should be noted that many serious eye diseases often appear in the early stages under the guise of "presbyopia". Age related macular degeneration, a severe blinding eye disease, is one of them. "This type of eye disease occurs in the macular area in the center of the retina, which can damage our most important 'central vision'. In the early stages, it may manifest as distorted visual objects, decreased vision, abnormal color, and even the appearance of a 'black hole' in the center of the visual field." Yu Jing reminds that if not taken seriously, it is likely to miss the critical opportunity to preserve vision. Cataract is another common age-related eye disease, which is caused by the gradual clouding of the crystalline lens. Due to the slow decline in vision, it is often easily confused with "microphthalmia". Cataract usually manifests as blurred vision, blurred shadows, and a layer of fog when looking at things. At night, there is obvious glare, and the color may become dull or afraid of light, "Yu Jing explained. Yu Jing reminds that "cataracts can restore vision through surgical treatment. Currently, cataract surgery technology is advancing rapidly, and the timing of surgery is also flexible. Don't wait for cataracts to 'mature' and disappear completely before choosing surgery. This not only increases intraoperative risks and affects postoperative recovery, but may also bring many complex intraoperative and postoperative complications." Compared with cataracts, glaucoma has a stronger "killing power". Open angle glaucoma and chronic angle closure glaucoma have strong concealment, and some patients may be in the middle or late stage after just seeking medical treatment. Acute angle closure glaucoma may present with some early symptoms: initially, mild headaches, eye swelling, and blurred vision may occur occasionally, which can be mistaken for eye fatigue. Once the angle of the eye is completely closed, the intraocular pressure suddenly rises, causing headaches, eye swelling, nausea, and a sharp decline in vision. If not treated in a timely manner, it will seriously affect visual function. Yu Jing reminds that "especially elderly people with hyperopia or smaller eye diameters are more likely to develop this type of glaucoma during the development of cataracts." In addition, the "three highs" population (hypertension, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia) also need to pay special attention. These metabolic diseases can affect the health of retinal microvessels and may lead to eye diseases such as retinal vein occlusion, retinal artery occlusion, and optic nerve ischemia. The above diseases can all manifest as "blurred vision", "obstruction", or even "inability to see". If treated as "blurred vision" and not actively intervened, it may result in permanent loss of visual function. So, how to distinguish between simple presbyopia or hidden eye disease risk? Yu Jing shared a simple reference standard: the main manifestation of presbyopia is difficulty seeing up close, which generally does not affect the ability to see far, and far vision does not suddenly deteriorate. Once there is a significant decrease in far vision, visual field defects, visual distortion, color changes, etc., medical attention should be sought as soon as possible, including examinations of the anterior segment, fundus, intraocular pressure, and optometry to avoid delaying the condition. Even if the final diagnosis is presbyopia, we cannot take it lightly. Visual function gradually deteriorates with age. If we can start from daily life and scientifically protect our eyes, it can not only alleviate discomfort symptoms such as fatigue and dryness, but also delay the progression of presbyopia to a certain extent. For example, alternating training between looking far and looking close in daily life can greatly benefit the ability to regulate the ciliary muscle. And eye health exercises are not an outdated old method. They can stimulate specific acupoints around the eyes such as bamboo, fish waist, silk bamboo hollow, and sun, and from a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, unblock meridians and improve blood circulation. They are also effective in relieving visual fatigue and maintaining regulatory functions. In addition, hot compress is also a recommended method. Yu Jing suggests that during breaks between work and study, you can take 5 to 10 minutes to rub your hands together and gently apply them around your eyes, or use steam from a hot water cup or tea cup to gently close your eyes or blink normally for fumigation. This can help relieve dryness and fatigue, maintain tear film stability, improve meibomian gland function, and alleviate eye discomfort. (New Society)