Seven Eye-Opening Ways to Save Your Vision
It’s easy to take good vision for granted – until it’s no longer there. Bad lifestyle habits can jeopardize good vision and negatively impact quality of life.
These seven tips can help:
1. Eat a balanced diet
Diet can have a direct correlation to vision quality. Certain vitamins and minerals found in food may play a role in preventing cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, two common causes of vision problems. Research shows certain nutrients can positively impact eye health. These include:
- Vitamin A: Apricots, carrots, mangos, raw red peppers, raw cantaloupe
- Vitamin C: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, grapefruit, kiwi, oranges
- Vitamin E: Almonds, peanut butter, spinach, sunflower seeds
- Lutein, zeaxanthin: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, corn, eggs, kale, nectarines, oranges, spinach, squash
- Omega-3 fatty acids: Flaxseed, halibut, salmon, tuna
- Zinc: Chickpeas, oysters, yogurt
2. Limit or quit tobacco use
3. Have regular eye exams
An estimated 93 million adults in the U.S. are at high risk for serious vision loss, but only half visited an eye doctor in the past 12 months, according to the CDC. Comprehensive dilated eye exams not only determine whether a person could improve their vision with glasses or contact lenses, but they help detect many of the common eye diseases listed above, which often have no warning signs.
4. Maintain a healthy weight
5. Manage blood sugar
6. Limit screentime and take breaks
Combat this condition at home and at the office by:
- Making sure chairs are comfortable and adjusted to a proper height
- Adjusting computer screens so they are 15 to 20 degrees below eye level and 20 to 28 inches from the eyes
- Taking 15-minute breaks to rest the eyes after every period of two consecutive hours of device use
7. Wear sunglasses and protective eyewear.
Protective eyewear – which includes safety glasses and goggles, safety shields and eye guards – can keep the eyes safe when playing sports. They also protect the eyes when engaging in home activities like using hardware tools and mowing the lawn. Most protective eyewear lenses are made of polycarbonate, which is 10 times stronger than other plastics.
Individuals should also wear sunglasses that block 99% to 100% of the sun’s UVA and UVB radiation while hanging around outside on a sunny day. And remember to never look directly at the sun.