Eye Health: Tips on How to Look After Your Eyes

Your eyesight is something that many people take for granted until their vision is impaired or lost. Naturally, with age, our eyesight will change. There are also a lot of health issues that can creep up on us as we get older, but if you look after your eyes, you may be able to maintain a good standard of vision for longer and avoid any health issues to do with your eyes in the future. Looking after your eyes is a lot easier than you may initially think. So, here are some useful tips on how you can do just that.

Healthy Diet

The food you eat does have an impact on the health of your eyes. There are a range of nutrients you should include in your diet like fatty acids such as omega-3, vitamin A, vitamin C, zinc and lutein. Including these nutrients in your diet will help to fight off age-related sight problems such as cataracts and macular degeneration. To make sure you’re getting plenty into your system, make sure you add plenty of leafy green vegetables, oily fish, proteins and citrus fruits/juices into your diet. Having a well-balanced diet doesn’t only help with your vision, but it also reduces the risk of developing other issues such as obesity and diet related diseases, for example, type 2 diabetes (a major cause of adult blindness).

Stop Smoking

Smoking increases your risk of developing many types of health issues. Eye problems that can develop from smoking are macular degeneration and cataracts (due to optic nerve damage). If you have tried to quit smoking before but have failed to do so, keep trying. It has been proven that the more times you try, the higher the chances of succeeding in the future. If you want more advice on how to quit smoking, then speak to your doctor.

Wear Sunglasses

Ultraviolet (UV) rays that are given off by the sun are a form of radiation that can damage the cells in our bodies. This includes our eyes. If you are exposed to too much UV radiation, then the chances of developing macular degeneration and/or cataracts increases. It doesn’t take much to protect them; putting on a pair of sunglasses is all you need. A pair that blocks between 99-100 percent of UVA and UVB rays is best. There are also wraparound lenses available which help to protect your eyes from the sides. Then there are polarized lenses which reduce the amount of glare during driving.

Screen Technology

If you stare at a screen (for example, a computer or television screen) for too long, then you can suffer from eyestrain, blurred vision, dry eyes, a headache, repetitive strain injury and you may find it hard to focus on things that are far away. To protect your eyes from screens, make sure you take regular breaks, have a supportive chair, blink regularly and make sure your room is well lit when you use these devices.

Being sure that your prescription for your women’s or men’s glasses or contact lenses is up to date and ideal for looking close up as well as far away is important. If you find it hard to see both far away and close up, then looking into multifocal lenses can help with this issue and you can find more more info when you visit this website.

If you follow the correct procedures but your eyes are still straining, then speak to your doctor.

Eyewear Safety

If you have a hazardous job that puts your eyes at risk, then make sure you always wear some safety goggles or protective glasses to stop any airborne or hazardous materials from getting into your eyes when you are on the job. Certain sports can put you at higher risk of injury. So, if you take part in sports such as racquetball, lacrosse or ice hockey, make sure you wear protective eyewear. Helmets that have a protective face mask installed onto it or sports goggles that have a polycarbonate lens will help keep your eyes shielded from injury.

Eye Tests

Regular eye exams are an important procedure that you should always keep up to date with. Everyone needs to visit their eye doctor, no matter how old you are. Making sure you visit your eye doctor regularly guarantees that your vision is always at its best. These visits can also pick up on diseases of your eye early on, such as glaucoma. Diseases like glaucoma often have no symptoms, so these eye appointments can save you a lot of problems, as spotting the issue early on means that it will be much easier to treat.

Eye Doctors

Your eye health will determine what type of eye doctor you will require. There are two main types of eye doctors: an ophthalmologist and an optometrist. An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who specializes in caring for eyes. They tend to provide general eye care, can treat diseases of the eye and can carry out eye surgery. Then there are optometrists who are able to give general eye care and should be able to provide treatment for a range of common eye problems. However, they are unable to perform eye surgery.

Eye Examinations

There is nothing to be afraid of when it comes to having a comprehensive eye examination. Your eye doctor will ask you a variety of questions regarding your personal life and what your family’s medical history is like. Then you will have a test to see what your vision is like. This will determine what type of eye correction you may need (if any). Next, you will have a test to determine the efficiency of your eyes working together. Then they will have a look at the pressure in your eyes and will test your optic nerves (this is the test for glaucoma). Finally, you may have an external examination of your eyes to see how well they dilate.

Looking after your eyes is very important and there are many easy ways for you to do this. Simple life changes can make such a positive impact on your eye health and are definitely worth a try. Remember, if you are worried or unsure about anything to do with your vision, then seek medical advice.

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