10 Health & Safety Tips for Protecting Your Eyesight as You Get Older

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By the time you hit 40, your body has already become fatigued in the endless war of maintaining your health all by itself, and you have to start playing a role in increasing your defense mechanisms. One of the most vulnerable casualties during this battle against time, is the eyesight, with reports claiming that optical problems will affect one in every six adults by the age of 45.

Thankfully, these eye diseases are so widely studied, that there are various methods you can adapt to delay the onset of vision related lethargy and deterioration, while some troubles can even be reversed with the correct medical support and some preventive measures on your part. Here is a list of just some of the ways to keep an eye on your eyesight as you get older.

Be Aware of Your Family's Medical History

Unfortunately, many eye diseases are hereditary, with reports suggesting that if age-related macular degeneration (AMD) runs through your family’s history, you have a 50% chance of developing it yourself. What's even more dangerous, is that these symptoms creep up on you so gradually, that you may not notice until much later in life. By informing your optician of these predisposed genetic disorders, they will be better equipped to notice the warning signs long before they take control.

Attend Regular Eye Tests
To give your eyes a fighting chance, it is essential that you undergo a comprehensive eye exam at least every two years. This is because many eye deterioration factors come free without any warning signs or symptoms. By regularly analyzing the dilation of your pupil and checking your prescriptions are up to date, experts will be able to catch any potential issues long before they affect the quality of your life, and treat them accordingly.

Attend Regular Physical Examinations
On that note, your overall physical condition plays an essential role in your eyesight and should not be overlooked. If you suffer from diabetes or high blood pressure, and these ailments are not cared for properly, they can lead to all sorts of eye troubles, including diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration.

Be Aware of the Warning Signs
If you find your sight behaving strangely, do not close your eyes and hope they disappear. Rather, visit your doctor immediately, as these oddities could be alarm bells cautioning you that greater peril is on the horizon. Potential things to look out for would be: double or blurry vision, difficulty seeing in darker conditions, red eyes, flashes of light, or any pain.

Avoid Strain
Gluing your eyes to various electronic devices for hours on end may be a commonplace practice these days, but by simply spending twenty seconds every hour to focus on something in the distance, you can prevent tired eyes from turning into a serious health hazard. Be mindful of screen glares, up your font size, and look here for other top features of the best laptops for seniors.

Protection from UV Light
The sun may be everyone's friend in the sky, but it also comes with harmful ultraviolet rays which can exaggerate the threat of cataracts and pinguecula. When you venture on your outside strolls, always wear your favorite pair of UV protected sunglasses to bounce any destructive light away from your eyeballs and keep your sight healthy and safe.

Contact Lense Care
If you are a contact lense wearer, you need to take extra care that these useful enhancements are not having any adverse effects. Keep your hands spotless when handling the lenses and utilize the recommended cleaning solution after every use. If a lense feels awkward on your eye, simply take it out and try again rather than just putting up with it for the whole day. If you find yourself forever battling against the comfort of your lenses, perhaps consider investing in laser eye surgery to eradicate the problem once and for all.

Regular Exercise
Studies have unanimously agreed that routine activity reduces eye degeneration substantially, some reporting up to 70 percent! Even a brisk walk can considerably benefit your eye health, whilst a good night's sleep will grant your exhausted peepers the rest they deserve.

Eat a Balanced Diet
Antioxidants have been linked to the upkeep of an eyeball's durability. Such foods to heavily integrate into your meals would be: fruits, green vegetables, bell peppers, blueberries, sweet potatoes, chia seeds, and of course, the classic carrot consumption your mummy always told you about.

Cut Down Smoking
Besides all the other overall health pitfalls of cigarettes, studies have connected smoking to uveitis, cataracts, and macular degeneration. And so when considering the habit's additional devastating disruption on your heart and lungs, it may be time to start breathing in more of nature's oxygen rather than the poisonous toxins which are costing you a fortune.