Your eyes are a vital part of your overall health, and you can take many measures to keep them healthy if you’ve never had a vision issue and don’t pay much attention to them. However, you may not be conscious of the vision changes that arise as you age. Some of these changes have the potential to cause blindness or have a significant negative impact on vision.
Small preventive measures can significantly protect your eyes and prevent future vision issues. Here, we will discuss how to avoid the signs of vision problems.
Get Regular Eye Exams
Regular eye exams are the only method for catching a variety of vision issues. The AAO reports that diseases like glaucoma are the leading cause of blindness in individuals over 60.
Some people may need to see their eye doctor more regularly. According to the AAO, if you wear contact lenses, you should see your ophthalmologist once a year. The AAO advises discussing the frequency of eye checkups for individuals with diabetes or a family history of eye disease.
Wear Protective Eyewear
Always wear protective eyewear when participating in sports or undertaking household tasks. Protective eyewear comprises safety glasses and goggles, safety shields, and eye guards. These are designed to offer the right protection for the activity you are involved in.
Polycarbonate, which is ten times stronger than other plastics, is used to make the majority of protective eyewear lenses. Sports goods sellers and numerous eye care professionals both sell protective eyewear.
Keep Computer Screens at a Distance
Working on a computer for a complete day can lead to dry eyes. Your eyes’ oily, eyes’ layers prevent tears from evaporating while they remain intense. Your eyes then produce more water to compensate.
Additional causes of dry eyes include:
· Inflammation.
· Certain medications, like antidepressants.
· Hormonal variations due to aging factors.
Control Your Blood Sugar
According to the CDC, diabetes is one of the major causes of blindness in prime-age adults. The disease arises when high blood sugar harms blood vessels in the retina, stopping blood flow and leading to dim vision.
There are some tips to decrease vision loss caused by diabetic retinopathy:
· Try to keep blood sugar levels in your target range.
· Manage high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
· Avoid smoking to lower the danger of diabetes-related eye diseases.
· Be physically energetic to manage diabetes.
Reduce Alcohol Intake
In addition to increasing the risk of heart disease and liver disease, high alcohol intake can also affect long-term eye health. Alcohol use can worsen DED symptoms, which cause eyes to dry out and become red, swollen, and irritated due to insufficient tears.
A study of ten patients found that ethanol ingestion decreases tear break-up time and increases tear osmolarity. Ethanol ingestion can also disrupt cytokine production in the patients’ tears.
Try the 20-20-20 Rule to Avoid Dry Eye
Dry eye occurs when the eyes do not produce enough tears or tear film. The common sign of dry eye is increased tear production, which may increase due to dry eye irritation.
Dry eyes can also cause stinging, burning, redness, irritation, and pain and can disturb vision. A warm compress on the eyes is an easy home cure for dry eyes, also known as artificial tears. If these treatments aren’t appropriate, your eye doctor may suggest a prescription eye-drop medicine.