As you age, your risk of developing conditions that impact the health of your eyes grows. Although this is completely normal, there are steps you can take to support your eye health every day, in addition to consulting your ophthalmologist for any concerns and regularly eye exams.
Focusing on the health of your eyes can also be a form of increased attention to the health of your entire body. Here’s what you need to know.
1. Know your eye disease risk level
Knowing what things affect your vision and how to identify the symptoms is one of the most effective ways to stay on top of your eye health.
If you work in a job where you stare at a computer screen all day, you probably already know eye fatigue and tension which sometimes cause temporary blurred vision. Take eye breaks at least every 20 minutes and consider a pair of anti-blue light glasses to use during work. If you work outside where the the sun can damage your eyes or in a facility where objects could come into contact with your eyes, be sure to wear appropriate protective eyewear and respond quickly if injured.
Don’t forget your family history. There are more than 350 eye diseases which are considered hereditary. You can’t change your genetics, but being aware of them will help you identify symptoms or seek preventive care.
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2. Get Your Eyes Checked with Regular Eye Exams
Eye exams may not be what you’re most looking forward to, but they should be high on the list of important things to do as you get older. Whether or not you have a family history of vision problems, regular eye exams can help you identify problems early before they get worse.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends eye exams at least every year or two after 65 years. Age-related eye problems such as cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and macular degeneration can be identified early by an ophthalmologist.
3. Wear Appropriate Glasses Indoors and Outdoors
UV rays from the sun can be harmful to the eyes and damage your vision. According to the US National Institutes of Health, excessive UV light has been linked to a higher risk of cataracts or even eyelid cancer. Wear an appropriate hat and sunglasses that block at least 99% of UVA and UVB rays.
If you wear prescription glasses or contact lenses, or even a pair of over-the-counter readersbe proactive by regularly updating your glasses. The prescription you needed then may be different from the one you need now. Even though those over-the-counter readers did the trick a year ago, you may need a little more help now.
4. Take care of your body as a whole
While external environmental factors certainly play a role, much of your eye health comes from within.
A diet full of best foods for healthy eyes can help provide your body with the nutrients it needs for optimal eye health. This includes things like almonds, broccoli, carrots, eggs, kiwi, leafy greens, salmon and sunflower seeds that are easy to incorporate into meals. A good diet also promotes healthy blood sugar levels and body weight, which reduces the risk of diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 90% of cases linked to diabetes blindness is preventable.
If you smoke, now is the time to quit. Among the many other diseases that smoking is associated with, smoking-related eye conditions are common. Macular degeneration and cataracts are two of the biggest threats. Inasmuch as smokingYou are twice as likely to develop age-related macular degeneration and two to three times more likely to develop cataracts than nonsmokers, according to the CDC.