Tips on Keeping Your Eyes Healthy

There are many things we can do to keep our eyes healthy and maintain good vision as we age. This article goes over a few tips on ways to keep your eyes in good health and vision lasting for years to come.

1.      Eat Well

Maintaining a proper diet and taking the right vitamins have a big impact on your eyes and vision. Nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zinc, and vitamins C and E could help lessen the chance for getting macular degeneration and cataracts. Vegetables that are green and leafy such as spinach, kale, and collards, should be a part of your diet if you are serious about your eye health.

2.      Stop Smoking

Smokers have a higher likelihood of getting cataracts, developing optic nerve damage, and macular degeneration. If you are a chronic smoker and have not had eye issues yet, consider yourself lucky. The faster you can kick the habit, the higher the chance you won’t develop eye issues.

3.      Wear Sunglasses

Constantly exposing your eyes to ultraviolet (UV) rays can increase your chances of developing cataracts and macular degeneration. If you live in a sunny climate with higher UV exposure, wearing sunglasses every time you go outside or are in the car can drastically lessen the chances of developing eye problems. Useful tip: Choose a pair that blocks 99% to 100% of UVA and UVB rays.

4.      Limit Eye Exposure to Computer Screens

We all live in a world where we are constantly looking at computer screens. However, too much exposure to digital screens can be damaging to our eyes and vision. The problems that can develop from staring at computer screens too long are eyestrain, blurry vision, trouble focusing, dry eyes, and headaches. To protect your eyes, make sure to take regular breaks from your computer or phone. Readjusting your eyes every 20 minutes by looking at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds will have a huge impact on your vision, focus, and minimize the chances of developing headaches and other eye-related issues.

5.      Visit Your Eye Doctor and Get Exams Regularly

We all should be regularly visiting our eye doctors and receiving regular eye exams to check for any abnormalities that could be developing with your eyes or vision. Eye exams can find diseases like glaucoma and determine if you are developing any eye or vision issues. 

The Truth About Cataracts

According to the World Health Organization, cataracts are one of the leading eye health issues that can cause blindness, affecting roughly 65.2 million people worldwide. Cataracts are relatively simple to treat surgically in developed countries, but in others, eye care is minimal. The increase in our life expectancy has also uninhibited the growth of cataracts in the human population.  What is a cataract exactly? This condition is described as the clouding of the lens in the eye. Vision becomes blurred as the cataract develops and eventually, blindness is the result. Unfortunately, there is no definite route to prevent cataracts, but there are several ways to lower the risk of obtaining it. If you feel your vision is starting to worsen, or if you have trouble being able to see without bright light, you should consult with your doctor and be tested for cataracts.

Risk Factors of Cataracts  

Biological aging is the most common cause for cataracts with environmental exposures such as smoke or ultraviolet light. There are other secondary conditions related to other health problems like skin disease, diabetes, and overall health and lifestyle habits. Research also shows that women are at a higher risk for cataracts than men. Experts believe the reason for this is due to menopause, causing a decrease in estrogen that triggers cataracts later in life. Another genetic factor appears to be race. Most people falling suspectable to cataracts after turning 70 are classified as ‘white’ while Hispanics seem to have the lowest rate for cataracts.

Lifestyle Habits and Protection from Cataracts

Although you cannot completely remove the risks of environmental exposure, there are specific measures that you can take to help protect you. The two most common causes include excessive sun exposure and smoking. Ultraviolet light and smoking are known for causing cataracts even in people at a young age. Unfortunately, the overexposure from UV rays can take years or even decades to contribute to cataract development, so many people may not even know there is a problem until the damage has already occurred. To reduce the exposure of UV rays, it is advised to wear the correct protection, for instance, sunglasses with at least 99% protection from UVA and UVB rays or wearing a sunhat with at least 3” wide brim whenever out in the bright sun. Evidence also suggests that having a proper diet may also prevent cataracts from developing. Foods that are high in antioxidants such as green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, and eggs may decrease your risk.

Treatment

Cataracts can be very devastating if left untreated. The good news is that they take years to develop, which gives you plenty of time to discuss with your doctor which option will be best for your treatment. Cataract surgery is done in two stages; first, they remove the existing lens, and then they replace it with a new lens implant that will allow you to see clearly again and sometimes correct other vision problems. Your doctor can monitor early progression treatment and you may have months or years before surgery is needed. A simple upgrade in your glass’s prescription or the use of brighter lights can help, but ultimately the removal of the cloudy lens through cataract surgery will need to be performed.

Rohr Eye & Laser Center offers the most advanced technology available to suit your lifestyle and visual needs. As a leader in laser vision correction and cataract surgery, our goal is to help you achieve the best vision possible without glasses or contact lenses. More information can be found online at https://michiganlasik.com.

Post-Op Cataract Hypertension

The most common adverse effect seen on day one of post-op cataract surgery that may require some form of treatment is ocular hypertension. It is essential to understand when and how to treat this condition to avoid a rare but serious complication of optic nerve damage and vision loss. Either inflammation typically causes this condition, or the ophthalmic viscosurgical device (OVD) used during surgery to keep the eye shape has left a small remainder of the gel on the ocular. Experts have come to the consensus that if the pressure is higher than 30 mm Hg, the patient should be treated. Also, if a patient has preexisting glaucoma or is currently experiencing eye pain, then they too should be helped. In this article, it goes into detail on how this condition can be treated. It is always best to consult with your doctor for any concerns after surgery.