Held every October, Vision Awareness Month draws attention to the challenges of living without vision. It’s an opportunity to refocus on the importance of preserving your sight through proactive vision care in Florida.
The Leading Causes of Vision Loss
The primary causes of vision loss in Florida and throughout the United States are:
- Glaucoma involves damage to the optic nerve, typically due to increased eye pressure.
- Macular degeneration occurs when the macula, part of the retina, becomes damaged, leading to central vision loss.
- Cataracts are the clouding of the eye’s natural lens, leading to blurry vision.
- Diabetic retinopathy involves damage to the blood vessels in the retina, causing blurriness, floaters, and vision loss if left untreated.
Preventing Vision Loss
Patients in Tampa Bay and across Florida can benefit from preventative eye care. Here are a few crucial steps to preserving your vision:
- Attend yearly eye exams and all recommended follow-ups. During these appointments, your Tampa area eye doctor will perform comprehensive testing to catch signs of eye problems in their early stages, before you have noticeable symptoms.
- Quit smoking. Smoking is known to increase the risk of eye conditions that can cause vision loss, like cataracts and macular degeneration.
- If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, follow your diabetes management plan carefully. Keeping your blood sugar levels within the target range will help prevent vision loss from diabetic retinopathy.
- Eat a nutrient-rich diet with plenty of dark leafy greens and omega-3 fatty acids, which can help preserve your eye health.
- Maintain a healthy weight to lower your risk of diabetes and other chronic conditions, which may impact your vision in the long term.
As a leading eye clinic in the Tampa Bay area, The Eye Clinic of Florida provides comprehensive eye care and expert treatment for cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and more. Contact us today to schedule an appointment!