Preserving your eyesight is crucial for maintaining your quality of life.
Age-related conditions like macular degeneration, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma are the main causes of blindness and low vision.
Below are some useful tips to help you prevent vision loss from these age-related eye diseases and other eye-related issues!
1. Assess Your Risk for Eye Diseases
Understand your genetic background. Are diabetes or high blood pressure present in your family history? Are you over 60 years old? Such factors can elevate your risk for serious eye conditions.
2. Schedule Regular Health Check-ups
Regular screenings for diabetes and high blood pressure are crucial as these conditions can lead to eye issues like diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, and eye strokes if not managed properly.
3. Monitor Vision Changes
Promptly visit an eye doctor if you notice changes in your vision. Be alert for symptoms such as double vision, blurry vision, or trouble seeing in dim light. Also, watch out for red eyes, flashes of light, floaters, and any eye pain or swelling.
4. Maintain an Active Lifestyle
Engaging in regular physical activity, like brisk walking, can significantly lower the risk of age-related macular degeneration by up to 70%, and benefit cognitive health. Consistent exercise improves blood circulation, which helps deliver essential nutrients and oxygen to the eyes, supporting their overall health and function.
Additionally, physical activity promotes the release of endorphins, which not only enhance mood and reduce stress but also improve brain function by stimulating the growth of new neural connections.
5. Wear UV Protective Eyewear
Protect your eyes from the sun's harmful UV rays by wearing sunglasses that block 100 percent of UV light, which can help prevent conditions like cataracts and pinguecula. Prolonged exposure to UV radiation can also increase the risk of macular degeneration, leading to vision loss over time, and cause photokeratitis, a painful condition similar to sunburn, but on the cornea.
Additionally, UV-blocking sunglasses can enhance visual clarity, reduce glare, and improve contrast, making outdoor activities more enjoyable and less taxing on your eyes. Investing in high-quality sunglasses with UV protection can be a proactive step toward preserving long-term eye health, ensuring your vision remains sharp as you age.
6. Follow a Nutrient-rich Diet
Consuming foods high in antioxidants can help reduce the risk of cataracts. Include plenty of fruits and vegetables, especially colorful and dark green varieties in your diet. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish, may also help prevent macular degeneration. Consider eye vitamins to ensure you’re getting sufficient nutrients essential for eye health.
7. Schedule Yearly Eye Examinations
An annual comprehensive eye exam, which includes pupil dilation, can identify major eye diseases like diabetic retinopathy that often lack early warning signs. Regular exams also ensure your eyeglasses or contact lenses prescription is current, helping you see clearly and safely.
8. Avoid Smoking
The health risks of smoking are extensive and well-documented. For eye health, smokers are more likely to develop conditions such as age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and uveitis.
