Eyes are an important part of our health. We rely on our
sight more than any other senses to enjoy life to the fullest. Our vision
changes naturally as we age & with new needs & challenges, it is very
important how we can still maintain our eye health. With age, our eyes need
more light to see. It becomes difficult to focus on things close by.
Distinguishing between colors becomes harder & adjusting to glare &
darkness proves extremely troublesome. Decline in visual abilities can hamper
complex tasks like driving, thus restraining your independence. Hence we have
to take great care to preserve our precious sense of sight. By following a few
simple steps we can maintain a healthy eye sight well into the golden years.
Regular Comprehensive Eye Check-Up
Visiting your eye care professional for comprehensive
dilated eye exam is the only way to ensure the health status of eyes. When it
comes to common vision problems, some people don’t realize they could see
better with glasses or contact lenses. In addition, many common eye diseases
such as glaucoma, diabetic eye disease & age-related macular degeneration
often have no warning signs. A dilated eye exam is the only way to detect these
diseases in early stages.
Good
Diet for Good Vision
Nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zinc,
& vitamins C & E might help ward off age-related vision problems such
as macular degeneration & cataracts. Regularly eating foods like green
leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, & collards salmon, tuna & other
oily fish, eggs, nuts, beans & other non-meat protein sources & oranges
& other citrus fruits or juices can
help lead to good eye health.
Healthy
Weight for Healthy Vision
Eating a well-balanced diet also helps maintain healthy
weight, which makes you less likely to get obesity-related diseases such as
type 2 diabetes which is the leading cause of blindness in adults.
Wearing
Sunglasses
The right kind of sunglasses will help protect your eyes
from the sun's UV degeneration. Choose sunglasses that block 99% to 100% of
both UVA & UVB rays. Polarized lenses reduce glare when driving. Some
contact lenses offer UV protection but it is still better to wear sunglasses
for more protection.
Eye
Safety Wear
Prevent injuries by wearing safety goggles or glasses
when playing sports, or performing any other task that could potentially cause
injury to eyes.
Rest Your Eyes
If you sit for long hours in front of computer, sometimes
you forget to blink & your eyes may become tired. Some people may need
glasses to help with contrast, glare, & eye strain when using a computer.
Position your computer so that your eyes are level with the top of the monitor.
This allows you to look slightly down at screen. Try to avoid glare on your
computer from windows & lights. Use anti-glare screen if needed. Try to use
the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Quit
Smoking
Smoking is bad for your eyes & for the rest of the
body. Studies have linked smoking to an increased risk of developing macular
degeneration associated with age, cataract & damage to the optic nerve. All
these can invariably cause blindness.
