8 Things You Can Do to Protect Your Vision
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Keeping your eyes healthy begins with your overall health. Taking these 8 steps towards protecting your vision now will put you on a pathway towards a lifetime of seeing clearly.
- Find an eye doctor
Many eye diseases don’t present symptoms early on. If you don’t have an eye doctor, you could be in a lot of trouble down the road. Ask friends and family members if they like and recommend their eye doctor. Another way to find a doctor is to check with your health insurance plan to find eye doctors near you. - Get a dilated eye exam
Dilating your pupil lets more light into your eye, allowing your eye doctor to better check for diseases. - Make room for physical activity
Physical activity can lower your risk for health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, but did you know those health conditions could also affect your vision? Those health conditions could lead to hypertensive retinopathy and diabetic retinopathy. Physical activity can help keep those diseases at bay. - Know your family history
Unfortunately, some eye diseases can run in the family, like glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration. Learn about your family’s health history and then share that information with your eye doctor. - Eat healthy
Eating the right foods for your eye health is also good for your overall health. Vitamin A is the best-known eye-health nutrient. Some foods that are high in vitamin A include carrots, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, and apricots. - Wear sunglasses
UV rays are not only bad for the skin, but also for the eyes. UVA and UVB rays can cause short- and long-term damage to your eyes. Wearing sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent UVA and UVB rays can greatly lower the risk for eye damage. - Manage diabetes and high blood pressure
If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, you’re already at a higher risk for eye diseases. Ask your doctor how you can manage your condition and lower your risk for vision loss. - Quit smoking
Stop smoking now if you don’t want eye diseases like macular degeneration and cataracts. And that’s just for your eyes; there are plenty of other ways smoking will affect your body. It’s never too late to quit smoking.