It’s all too easy to take vision for granted. But, without healthy eyes, your day-to-day life would be quite different. From driving to watching TV to reading a book, you use your eyes for countless activities throughout the day.
Thankfully, there are many steps that you can take to preserve the health of your eyes. Here are our top tips:
Quit Smoking.
Smoking greatly increases your risk of developing eye diseases including cataracts, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. By quitting smoking, you’ll be protecting the health of your eyes into older age. Plus, quitting smoking will improve the health of your entire body, from your lungs to your heart and even your skin.
Eat a Healthy, Nutrient-Dense Diet.
For long-term eye health, your diet should include a variety of nutrients that help ward off cataracts, macular degeneration, and other eye diseases. These nutrients include lutein, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids. Natural sources of these nutrients include leafy greens, oily fish, beans, nuts, eggs, and citrus fruits.
Additionally, maintaining a healthy weight is crucial to good eye health. Obesity, type 2 diabetes, and related diseases can contribute to blindness in adults.
Wear Sunglasses.
While the sun can give you a dose of vitamin D, which is beneficial for eye health, its UV rays can damage your eyes. In particular, UV ray damage can increase your risk of developing cataracts. So, make sure to wear sunglasses that provide UVA and UVB protection whenever you spend time outside.
Schedule Regular Eye Exams.
During your annual eye exams, your eye doctor can check for warning signs of various eye problems. For many eye diseases, early intervention can slow and even prevent vision loss. So, make sure to schedule eye exams once yearly, or as recommended by your provider.
Contact The Eye Clinic of Florida today to schedule your eye exam.