A lot can change your vision as you get older but knowing how to improve vision as well as ways to maintain aging eyes can go a long way.
To make sure you’re prepared, you first need to know how your eyes change as you get older and some eye diseases to watch out for.
How Vision Changes With Age
For many people, eye health will start to decline in the early to mid-40s with issues like trouble seeing at close distances, needing more light, having problems with glare, increasing trouble discerning different colors, and reduced tear production. These troubles may get worse into your 60s.
Your 60s will bring another set of potential problems. This is when you may experience age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, dry eye, glaucoma, or retinal detachment.
Many of these conditions are just a result of years of wear and tear on your body. The good news is you can do some things to help stave off some of these troubles if you take some preventive measures.
How to Improve Vision
VIPcare is all about preventive care, and that goes for your eyes too. The best thing you can do for your eyes is get regular checkups and talk to your eye doctor about any problems you may be noticing. Catching any issues early on can make a big difference in how big of a problem it becomes.
You should also make sure you’re aware of any family members that have dealt with vision loss or other eye diseases. Some conditions are hereditary.
Aside from keeping those routine appointments, take the following measures to keep your eyes in top shape.
Eat a Proper Diet
A healthy diet is imperative to your overall health. Yet another benefit is how it can help prevent macular degeneration.
Make sure you’re getting enough of the proper vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients when you’re planning your meals. An easy way to do that is to remember to eat the rainbow. Having a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables will put you on the right track to getting Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, zinc, and other beneficial antioxidants. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can be found in fish, are recommended too.
You should add some lutein and zeaxanthin to your diet. Those are carotenoids, which are found in your retinas. You can get them in foods like leafy greens, broccoli, eggs, and corn.
Exercise Regularly
Another mainstay for overall health, getting regular exercise can also contribute to good eye and vision health.
Living an active lifestyle will help control your weight and reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. People with type 2 diabetes can get diabetic retinopathy if the condition isn’t kept under control. Diabetic retinopathy is when blood and fluid begin leaking into your retina due to having too much glucose in your bloodstream.
So, by getting a proper amount of exercise you can stay fit and prevent a snowball effect of conditions that can eventually impact your vision.
Exercise Your Eyes
Doing eye exercises are another way to protect your vision by helping to reduce eye strain.
In this digital world we live in, there’s a lot of time spent staring at screens. Taking periodic breaks and doing eye exercises can help alleviate headaches, dry eyes, blurred vision, and focus issues associated with extended screen time.
One such exercise is called focus shifting. To do this, hold your finger out in front of your face and focus on it. While staying focused on your finger, slowly move it back towards your face until it is about 6 inches away. Repeat that a few times.
Another simple exercise is just looking up, down, and all around. While keeping your head still, look upwards, then look down, and then move your eyes in a circular motion all the way around. This will help keep the circulation moving along and get a good range of motion for your eyes.
One final idea is following the 20-20-20 rule. For every 20 minutes of screen time, you should stop and focus on something that’s 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Wear Eye Protection
The sun’s rays can do a number to your vision. Wearing sunglasses can protect your eyes from being damaged by those rays, which can lead to issues like cataracts and macular degeneration.
Protective eyewear isn’t just for the sunshine, though. Wear proper eye protection when you’re doing anything that puts you at risk for chemicals or other materials landing in your eyes.
Manage Chronic Conditions
Some chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and multiple sclerosis are commonly linked to eye problems.
In order to prevent vision loss, you have to manage those conditions daily so the impacts don’t reach your eyes.
See The Big Picture
Doing all of these things, most of which are part of a healthy lifestyle anyway, are big steps towards maintaining good eyesight. While you can’t eliminate the vision problems that aging eyes often experience, knowing these tips on how to improve vision can help minimize the issues.
Again, make sure you’re keeping up with regular appointments to see your doctor. He or she might be able to catch any potential problems before they become severe.