With the diet craze of today, it’s important not to forget the eyes. Losing your eyesight is not just something to worry about when you retire. What you do now can and will save your vision.
1. Stop smoking – Smokers are four times more likely to develop sight-threatening macular degeneration. Smoking produces vascular inflammation and can cause the most delicate blood vessels in your eyes to become damaged. Over time these blood vessels break down. They are also two times more likely to develop cataracts.
2. Sunglasses – Not those cheap $2.99 deals at the swap meet. Wearing a quality pair of 100 percent UV-coated and Polarized lenses will reduce your chances of developing macular degeneration and cataracts by 18 times. Wearing sunglasses should begin when you are a child because we are in the sun the most from ages 5 through 35.
3. Sleeping in your contacts – I do not advocate this. But if you are in extended wear lenses, at least take one or two nights a week off. Bacteria and dirt can get trapped in and under the lens causing irritation and infections. After every subsequent eye infection, your eye has an increased chance of getting another infection. It is important to stick to what your eye doctor says about wearing them properly and clean them with the solution they tell you to use.
4. Weight management – We all can stand to lose some weight. People with a body mass index of greater than 30 are at an increased chance of developing cataracts.
5. Diet – It’s not just an old wives tale that eating your carrots will help your eyes. This is a proven fact. People who eat three or more servings of fruits or veggies a day reduce their chances of developing macular degeneration by 36 percent. This is due to the antioxidants found in these foods.
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