Like many older adults, you’ve likely anticipated some changes in your vision as you age. You probably expected to need a stronger eyeglass prescription and may have even anticipated (or dreaded) switching to bifocals, but there are many sight-related problems that you could have never seen coming.

Diseases like age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, and glaucoma—all conditions which can eventually rob you of your sight— aren’t simply the inescapable outcome of getting older, but many of these diseases have no early symptoms. Subsequently, many people do not realize they even have eye disease until the condition is advanced.

But you don’t have to let that stop you from living a full life.

Living well with these conditions requires some tools to overcome vision loss. Try mounting special magnifiers on your glasses or a headband for hands-free, close-up view. A handheld magnifying glass or miniature telescope works well too.

Driving with Low Vision

When you are driving a car, about 90 percent your reaction depends on your vision, according to the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety. And as you age, your eyes have an increasingly hard time dealing with common visual impediments like glare and low light.

Your eyes start to lose their ability to recover from glare after the age of 30, and your night vision is likely to begin deteriorating in your 40s. By the age of 60, your eyes need about three times as much light to see as they did when you were 20.

Low vision can affect day driving too. Glare from the sun, which often coincides with morning and evening rush hour traffic, can cause serious vision-related safety issues. Here are a few ways to help improve your vision and keep you safe on the road:

• Wear sunglasses with brown- or bronze-colored, polarized lenses.
• Rain can amplify the glare of oncoming headlights, so shift your gaze to the curb or white line on the right side of the road to avoid looking directly at headlights of oncoming cars.
• For better night vision, wear sunglasses during the day to help your eyes adapt to lower light levels faster once the sun has gone down.

Eye Test

While a home test is no substitute for a professional eye exam, performing regular self-tests can help you discover a vision problem that needs professional attention—before it becomes a major obstacle.

One of the easiest and most helpful home eye tests is the visual acuity test, which measures how far you can see clearly. In other words, the visual acuity test helps you determine if you have “20/20 vision.” The most commonly used tool for visual acuity tests is the Snellen chart, which has a giant E at the top followed by several rows of successively smaller letters.

To perform a home visual acuity test:

• Print out a free eye chart and tape it at about eye level to a windowless wall in a well-lit room that is at least 10 feet long.
• Stand 10 feet away from the chart and cover one eye with a tissue or paper cup; do not use a sheet of paper, as you could actually cut your skin or eye. If you wear glasses, keep them on.
• Have someone point to the rows while you read each line from the top to the bottom.
• Have your helper keep track of which letters you get right.
• Note the smallest line that you were able to identify the majority of letters.
• Cover the other eye and read the chart again with your assistant’s help.

Someone with 20/20 vision would be able to identify a majority of letters on the lowest line of the page. If you do not get most of the letters right on the lowest line, even with your glasses on or contacts in, make an appointment with your eye doctor.

Getting a handle on low vision obstacles helps you maintain mobility and independence, reduces your risk for injury, and improves your overall quality of life.