Learn how to live and eat for lasting eye health
You jog and work out at the gym to keep your body in shape, but did you ever consider your eye health? We depend upon our vision constantly, and when something goes wrong it can be stressful and frightening.
Our team at Washington Eye Doctors wants you to enjoy quality for vision for as long as possible, so we’ve outlined the following tips for healthy vision and eye disease prevention.
Stay on Schedule with Eye Exams
Many people wait until they have a problem before visiting their eye doctor. Yet, many complications don’t present symptoms until they have advanced to a severe later stage. For example, diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy can stay silent for a very long time. Regular comprehensive eye exams are the only way to detect these conditions early on, when treatment is much more successful.
In addition to playing a strong role in disease prevention, eye exams will also ensure that your vision is crystal-clear. Eyesight changes with age, and you may need vision correction for the first time or a change in your prescription. Eye exams are also important for kids; if we diagnose nearsightedness that continues to worsen each year, we may recommend myopia control.
Give Your Eyes a Rest
Digital screens are a main reason why people gaze at one spot for long periods. In fact, a recent American study found that people stare at screens for about 7 hours a day! This poses a problem for your healthy vision, because it can easily lead to eyestrain and fatigue. Washington Eye Doctors advise you to take a break at least every 20 minutes; lift up your eyes and look into the distance for a bit. It is also important to remember to blink often enough.
With kids, spending too much time indoors with digital gadgets has been associated with myopia progression. By encouraging children to rest their eyes, look up from their screens and run around outdoors, you are also encouraging the most natural form of myopia control.
Smoking is Prohibited
Eyes are just one of a long list of organs that smoking can damage. If you smoke, you are at an increased risk of developing cataracts, macular degeneration and optic nerve damage – all of which can threaten your vision. Quitting smoking goes far towards eye disease prevention.
Eat Right and Exercise
The correct nutrients and antioxidants are essential for overall health and quality eye health. In particular, healthy vision benefits from a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, vitamin C, vitamin E and zinc. The good news is that many common foods contain these nutrients, such as berries, oranges, nuts, brown rice, avocado, spinach and fish, such as salmon and sardines. Eye health supplements are also widely available; ask our eye doctors to recommend the best one for you. Exercise promotes the absorption of these nutrients, so it’s important to keep active.
Practice Proper Contact Lens Care
If you wear contact lenses, you need to be vigilant about disinfecting them properly. Neglecting hygiene can lead to eye infection and irritation. If you wear disposable lenses, weekly or dailies, take care to discard them according to schedule.
Wear Shades
Just as you slather your skin with sunscreen, it is critical to cover your eyes with sunglasses that block at least 99% of UVA and UVB rays. This is the best way to protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays, which are associated with macular degeneration and cataracts.
Healthy vision should not be taken for granted! For more tips on how to be proactive with your eye health, please schedule an appointment.