(NAPSA)—Superstars such as Christie Brinkley, Denzel Washington and Katie Couric are living proof that “50 is the new 30.” Today’s baby boomer generation is vibrant and educated and its membersare living longer, healthier lives. Yet despite boomers’ best efforts to protect their health, most will begin to notice changes in their vision, such as difficulty reading a menuora favorite book. This loss of near vision is called presbyopia and affects everyone as they age. Luckily, there are manyoptionsto correct this vision problem, such as fun and fashionable reading glasses or progressive lenses. What many people don’t know, however, is that reach- ing the age of presbyopia means you may be at risk for other seriousvision problems. Once you reach 40, your risk for serious eye diseases begins to rise. Vision-threatening conditions such as glaucoma, agerelated macular degeneration and cataracts often have no warning symptoms and can only be detected with a professional eye exam. Eye exams can also help detect other serious health problems, including diabetes and hypertension. Today, nearly one-third of Americans over 40 have a vision problem and, according to the Vision Council of America, the number of blind or visually ~“ S rl. 3 r yj} impaired Americansis expected to double by the year 2020. “Some of these conditions, such as glaucoma, can lead to permanent vision loss if they are not detected and treated,” said ophthalmologist Elaine G. Hathaway, M.D. “We want to find eye diseases before vision is affected. That’s whyit’s so important for adults to have regular eye exams. Don’t wait until your eyes tell you there’s a problem.” The Vision Council of America encourages Americans 40 and older to receive regular eye exams to ensure good vision and overall health. Some warning signs of problems include: * Cloudy or blurry vision * Colors that seem faded * Poor night vision * Double or multiple vision Loss of peripheral (side) vision. To learn more about safeguarding your vision, visit www.check yearly.com.
