September is National Healthy Aging Month, an annual health observance month designed to inspire adults to improve their physical, mental, and social well-being. Practicing healthy aging can help reduce your risk for many health concerns, including eye diseases and vision problems, which can increase with age. Here are our tips for maintaining healthy vision while you age.
Tips for Healthy Vision While You Age
Eat a healthy diet – A healthy diet is key to improving many aspects of your life. But for your eyes, making small changes to your diet by adding in more fruits and vegetables can help prevent certain eye diseases. For example, increasing your intake of Vitamin A, C, and E, as well as minerals like zinc and copper, can help prevent diseases like Macular Degeneration, which is the deterioration of your retina. Proper nutrition can also help prevent dry eyes. Try increasing your intake of foods with Omega-3, like nuts, fish, and dark leafy greens.
Maintain a healthy weight – Similar to a healthy diet, keeping a healthy weight can also affect your eye health. Being overweight is often associated with problems like diabetes, which can lead to glaucoma or diabetic eye disease.
Don’t smoke – Smoking causes harm to your entire body, and your eyes are no exception. Not only does smoking cause pre-mature wrinkles, especially around your eyes, it can also cause several serious eye diseases. Smoking has been linked to an increased risk of cataracts, macular degeneration, Uveitis (inflammation of the eye’s middle layer), and dry eye.
Wear sunglasses – Just like sunscreen protects your skin, sunglasses protect your eyes from the sun’s UV rays. Sunglasses can help decrease your risk of cataracts and protects your retinas.
Helping you take care of your sight
Check your family history – Knowing your family history and taking preliminary actions with your eyes can make a huge difference. Common inherited eye diseases include Glaucoma, Retinitis Pigmentosa, Macular Degeneration, and Leber Congenital Amaurosis. Learn more about these diseases in our family history blog.
Have regular exams – Regular eye exams can help you and your doctors track your vision and eye health over shorter periods of time. This helps track small changes and can help with the early detection of potential problems, rather than waiting several years between visits.
For more information about your vision while you age, call to make an appointment with our doctors and we’ll help you begin your journey towards healthy vision.
