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A Guide to Healthy Vision

Maintaining good eye health and protecting your vision is very important. As we age, we can become at greater risk for disorders and conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, and macular eye degeneration. With these conditions, early diagnosis is important to figure out the best steps to take and the best treatment plan for you. This makes it crucial to get routine eye exams and visit your doctor regularly to help monitor any changes in your vision and eye health. Furthermore, there are other steps you can take to ensure you are protecting your eyes as best as possible.

Risk Factors:

As we age there is an increased chance of having eye diseases or vision issues. Some risk factors to keep in mind about your eye health include your age, if you are overweight, if you have a family history of eye disease, have high blood pressure, or if you are diabetic. These factors can increase your chances of having issues with healthy vision and eyesight. It is important to know that these can affect your vision and you should know which ones may apply to you. Speak with your doctor if you are experiencing changes in vision or are worried about potential risk factors.

Regular Eye Exams:

Getting regular eye exams at your doctor’s office can help you spot disorders and conditions much earlier. By catching them early you and your doctor can work together to create plans that will work for you to mitigate symptoms and improve your eye health. Dilated eye exams are an important part of a healthy lifestyle to catch any possible issues. Even if you feel healthy and can see fine it is important to have regular eye appointments to maintain your overall health. These eye exams are quick and catching conditions earlier on makes them easier to treat.

Promoting Your Eye Health:

Aside from regular eye examinations, there are other habits to work into your daily life to ensure you are promoting good eye health every day. Eating well and exercising can help decrease your risk for diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes, which in turn decreases your risk for possible eye conditions. Eating healthy foods such as dark leafy greens like spinach, and options like fish that are high in omega-3’s like salmon are great for your overall health including your eyes. Staying active will decrease your chances of developing harmful diseases and increase your overall health and wellness including your eye health. Working to keep healthy habits in your daily life will increase your overall quality of life and help you promote your eye health.

Protecting Your Eyes:

There are other steps you should take regularly to ensure that you are properly protecting your eyes. One of these steps is wearing sunglasses, you should look for sunglasses that protect against UVA and UVB rays to help shade your eyes from the sun properly. Additionally, it is important to wear protective eyewear when needed. Activities such as home repairs and gardening can involve dangerous tools or chemicals and wearing protective glasses or goggles can help ensure you won’t get eye damage from these tools. A very important tip to keep in mind is giving your eyes a break from screens. Looking at computers, phones, and TVs all the time can be very damaging for your eyes. Try to take a break every 20 minutes to give your eyes some relief from the screens to protect your vision.

Vision loss can negatively impact your overall quality of life and well-being. It is important to understand the risks that you may have to assess your eye health. Furthermore, it is crucial to take the necessary steps and precautions to promote your overall well-being and improve your eye health. If you are concerned about your eye health make sure you speak to a professional about your concerns and get regular eye exams.

 

For more information regarding eye health check out these resources:

Keep Your Eyes Healthy

60s+ Eye Health

Vision and Eye Care in Older Adults

Healthy Hive

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