TIPS FOR HEALTHY

Many people comment that losing their eyesight would be the worst thing that could happen to them. It is true that good vision is so important for keeping active and enjoying your life.

But what can you do to help preserve vision?

TAKE CARE OF THE REST OF YOU!

The eyes are not independent of the body. When you focus on a healthy lifestyle including a healthy diet, regular exercise, rest, and managing medical issues, you are also helping to keep your eyes healthy. Take special care to control your blood sugar if you have diabetes. Diabetes can lead to blindness if mismanaged.

EAT RIGHT!

Yes, your diet can impact vision and eye health. The Age-Related Eye Disease Study, which has been ongoing since the 90’s, has shown that various vitamin supplements help to decrease the progression of macular degeneration. It is also well documented that patients who eat “colorful” diets of vegetables and fruits tend to have fewer issues with their eyes as they age.

WASH YOUR HANDS…AND YOUR EYELIDS!

Yep! Wash your hands to prevent bacteria and viruses from infecting your eyes. Also, daily cleansing of your eyelids will prevent a pesky common lid problem called blepharitis, which can cause red, thickened, and irritated eyelids leading to eye irritation. Commercially prepared lid cleansers are available at your eye care provider or the drug store.

LOOK AROUND!

We tend to spend a lot of time with our “devices.” Staring at a screen for hours may dry your eyes due to a decreased blink rate or fatigue your eye due to excessive accommodation. Try looking around occasionally. This will trigger tear formation and relax the near focusing mechanism in the eye. Use artificial moisturizing drops which are readily available at your eye care provider or over the counter for eye irritation. Consider using weak, over the counter reading glasses if you have eye strain at the computer….even if you are not “old.”

YOU CAN’T PICK YOUR PARENTS BUT…

You can get regular eye examinations and care for any eye problems that may run in families like glaucoma. Glaucoma is a disease that causes optic nerve damage, the nerve that you see with. A common problem is high eye pressure that causes nerve damage. This tends to run in families. Macular degeneration is also a disease that tends to be familial. This disease can be slowed with vitamin therapy.

DON’T IGNORE A SUDDEN CHANGE IN YOUR VISION!

Some changes in vision can be normal like a need for reading glasses but don’t ignore sudden changes. A sudden, severe loss of vision may be a blood flow blockage to the eye. New floaters, especially if associated with flashes of light or a change in your peripheral vision may be a retinal detachment that needs urgent surgery.

GET REGULAR EYE CHECKUPS!

Don’t wait until you have trouble seeing before you seek help from an eye specialist. Some eye diseases are curable like cataracts. Cataract surgery is one of the most successful and safest surgeries you can have. Some eye diseases aren’t curable, like glaucoma, but are treatable to prevent further vision loss. Some diseases that were once thought to be untreatable, like wet macular degeneration, can be treated and, in some cases, reversed if properly treated.

You can enjoy good eyesight throughout your life by paying attention to your general good health. www.aao.org or www.aaopt.org are two websites that can help you find an eye care provider near you.