As time goes by, we realize that there is something we have been taking for granted for years and now reality has found a way to catch up. It may start off with symptoms of mild irritation, blurry vision or a partial loss of vision around the periphery. With age, eye problems have a tendency to crop up and one begins to realize the importance of good eye health and its role in providing quality life.
We at Eye Consultants believe that maintaining eye health is a practice that needs to be adopted early in life, if one wants to live a life without eye complications. Here is team Eye Consultant’s checklist on ‘7 tips to preserve your eyesight.’
- Watch your diet: While a healthy diet may seem to have a direct correlation with overall fitness, you cannot rule out the role of nutritious food when it comes to preserving eye health. What you eat influences your eye health more than you can imagine. Be sure to stock up on those eggs, nuts, green leafy vegetables and citrus fruits, as they go a long way in enhancing your health and keeping diseases like age related macular degeneration, cataract and dry eye at bay. Avoid consuming food that is high in sugar as this could lead to fluid build-up and blood vessel damage in the retina and cause diabetic retinopathy and other diabetic eye diseases.
- Regular eye exams: What’s a good way to ensure that your eyes are healthy and prevent eye disease? Schedule regular eye exams! As you age, so does your vision and it may not be as sharp and accurate as it was when you were younger. Not only are eye exams a good way to test your vision, they are also instrumental in the detection of early onset of eye diseases like glaucoma and cataract and aid in prevention of further vision deterioration. Our experts at Eye Consultants suggest that you schedule an eye exam at least once a year. If you are living with an eye complication, it is adviced that you schedule eye exams on a more frequent basis.
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle: A healthy lifestyle that includes exercise can do much more than help you shed those extra kilos and keep cardiovascular risk at bay. Over the years, studies have drawn a clear link between exercise and good eye health. Regular exercise can help fight diabetes, which in turn prevents the development of diabetic retinopathy. It has also been proven that moderate intensity exercise over prolonged periods of time can help reduce eye pressure in young adults combatting glaucoma.The decision to avoid smoking also falls under the purview of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Studies clearly reveal that smoking has been linked to cataract development and other eye diseases. Make a conscious effort to quit smoking for the sake of better eye health.
- Be vigilant: You’ve probably heard of the saying, ‘Prevention is better than cure’. This is applicable in the world of eye care as well. If you notice a sudden change in your vision, where objects appear to be blurred or you notice halos and symptoms of distorted vision, do not take it lightly and be sure to visit the nearest eye doctor. Furthermore, if you suffer an eye injury or experience eye irritation, make sure to visit an eye doctor. Self-medicating will only worsen your condition and you need to seek professional help at the earliest. Be on the watch for sudden change in vision and get it examined immediately.
- Maintain eye hygiene: If you are a person who uses eye makeup, be sure to wash it off before you go to bed. Never sleep with eye makeup on and do not share makeup or makeup brushes with others. Eye makeup components can cause eye infections if they are not stored properly or are past their expiration date. Avoid the risk of contracting eye infections by washing off your makeup before you go to sleep.
- Wear eye protection gear: If you are stepping out into the sun, there is something else you will need other than sun tan lotion to protect yourself from UV rays. Make sure to wear sunglasses that provide optimum protection from UV rays. Additionally, if you are trying to beat the heat with a swim, make sure to wear goggles as the chlorine and other chemicals found in pool water can cause eye irritation. Moreover, if you are in the construction business or if your work involves dealing with stray particles that may enter your eye, remember to wear protective eye gear. Remember, a little precaution now, will go a long way tomorrow.
Our doctors at Eye Consultants are experts at diagnosing the earliest signs of vision complications. If you would like to schedule an eye exam or book an appointment with our doctors, call us on +971 (0)4 4211299.
With age, eye problems have a tendency to crop up and one begins to realize the importance of good eye health and its role in providing quality life.
