The importance of keeping your eyes healthy
Without your vision, your life would be drastically altered. If you have a deteriorating eyesight, visit Pure Optical for your contact lenses. Awaking to the sunlight, finding matching socks, driving to work – these activities would no longer be easy and natural. More importantly, since your eyes allow you to communicate more fully with others, vision impairment can compromise your interactions with those around you.
Taking steps to improve and maintain vision is not hard, it just takes knowledge and some commitment to healthy practices. To get you motivated, here are some ways to make sure you prioritize keeping your eyes healthy.
Activities and family history
You may be prone to eye problems because of specific activities at work or play. If you work in welding, construction, or any number of fields with hazardous conditions, you need to wear eye protection. If you play extreme sports, you also need eye guards. Even when you are cleaning your house, the exposure to cleaning products and dust can be irritating to the eyes, so it’s smart to use goggles to be safe.
Taking time to learn about your family’s history of eye disease can help you be proactive about prevention. For example, macular degeneration and glaucoma may be inherited, so if you know a parent suffered from it, you will want to have regular, comprehensive assessments of your eye health.
Lifestyle and your eyesight
Lifestyle is a huge factor in the health of your eyes. You know smoking is bad for the lungs, but it can also cause cataracts and other eye diseases. The best way to protect your eyes is by never smoking, but if you suffer the effects of smoking, the best solution may be surgery. If you live in the Blaine area a reputable surgeon can easily be contacted for speedy and effective cataract surgery Blaine, Minnesota.
Other lifestyle factors can also change your vision. You probably know that being overweight or obese is a risk factor for diabetes. You may not realize that diabetes can cause vision loss. Overloading on alcohol or saturated fats can harm the macula and arteries. The bottom line is, your eyesight is also more likely to thrive with a diet filled with fruits, vegetables, omega-3 fatty acids, and the proper amount of antioxidants.
Being proactive
Just like our skin, the eyes are quite sensitive to sun exposure. An over-exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light can cause corneal damage, cataracts and other diseases. Be sure to wear sunglasses that have UVA and UVB protection. More than an accessory, a hat can also help block the UV rays.
A final, and perhaps the most important tip, is to have regular eye exams. A dilated eye exam will not only help you keep on top of potential diseases, it will alert you to easily treatable vision problems such as nearsightedness. An exam will also keep track of changes in your eyes as you age.
The eyes are the windows to the soul, as the saying goes. By keeping your eyes healthy, you can ensure you will see the beauty of the world and your loved ones your entire life.