Many people underestimate the importance of good eyesight until it starts to deteriorate.
Fortunately, there are actions you can take to care for your eye health throughout the years, which can prevent damage and various eye diseases, such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, and cataracts.
Don’t struggle with poor eyesight or a loss of vision unnecessarily. Read the below four tips for protecting your eye health.
- Learn About Your Family History
Your genetics could increase your risks of sight-threatening diseases, such as Usher syndrome, glaucoma, or age-related macular degeneration.
Also, if you have a family history of diabetes or high blood pressure, you might have a greater risk of the conditions, which can affect your eye health.
Talk to your loved ones about your family history to identify potential risks.
It is important to note you may have a higher risk of various eye diseases if you are African American, Native American, or Hispanic.
For example, African Americans will have a greater risk of glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and cataracts.
- Alter Your Diet
Your diet can affect every aspect of your body, including your eye health.
To enjoy 20/20 vision and prevent various eye diseases throughout your life, you must introduce many fruit and vegetables into your diet.
Dark, leafy green vegetables are the best choice, such as spinach, collard greens, and kale.
If your diet allows, regularly add fish onto your plate to enjoy more omega-3 fatty acids. Good sources of omega-3 include tuna, salmon, mackerel, and halibut.
- Protect Your Vision
Are you one of the many people who fail to protect their eyes outdoors?
Unfortunately, if you fail to shield your eyes from the sun, then you might struggle with the following issues:
- Cataracts
- Eye cancer
- Growths on the eye
- Snow blindness
For this reason, you must wear a pair of sunglasses with 100% UV or UV400 protection.
If you wear contacts, it is a wise move to make the switch to UV protection contact lenses that feature Class 1 UV blocking.
Also, you can protect your vision by wearing a broad-brimmed hat outdoors and avoiding sunlight from midday to early afternoon.
Never look directly at the sun to prevent damage to your retinas, as it can cause solar retinopathy.
- Don’t Ignore Warning Signs
It is crucial to book an appointment with an eye doctor if you experience any vision changes. Don’t ignore one or more warning signs, such as:
- Double vision
- Difficulty seeing in low light conditions
- Hazy vision
- Floaters
- Eye pain
- Swelling
- Red eyes
- Flashing lights
The above symptoms could be a sign of a serious eye problem, which is why you shouldn’t ignore the warning signs.
The sooner you receive a diagnosis, the easier it will be to treat the problem and protect your vision.
Book an appointment with an eye doctor at least once per year for a check-up, too, as they could spot and stop a potential eye issue in its tracks, as some diseases may not have any initial symptoms.
