This September, take a moment to consider the health of your eyes as we acknowledge Healthy Aging Month! Your eyes often are the first part of your body to show signs of aging.
Learning about the best ways to keep them healthy as you age is a smart way to protect your clear vision. Keep reading to learn some of the best ways to take care of your eyes, not just during Healthy Aging Month but all year long!
Protect Your Eyes from UV Light
The harmful effects of UV light are often cumulative, meaning the effects of a lifetime of UV light exposure may not show up until you are older. UV light exposure can lead to serious eye conditions like corneal damage, cataracts, macular degeneration, and even ocular cancers, all of which can lead to partial or total vision loss.
Often, the most considerable exposure to UV light comes from the sun. To protect your eyes, you should always wear sunglasses with UV protection when you are out in the sun. For the most protection, you should look for sunglasses that have lenses that block 99-to-100% of UV light.
For even more protection, choose wraparound-style sunglasses or sunglasses with large lenses.
Limit Your Screen Time
Spending too many hours in front of a computer, tablet, or smartphone screen can lead to troublesome eye strain. Eye strain can result in blurry vision, dry eyes, problems with focus, and headaches.
One good way to avoid eye strain caused by extended screen time is to take regular breaks while using your electronics. You can make this easy by setting an alert, reminding you when to take a break.
Many eye experts recommend following the 20-20-20 rule while looking at a screen for a long time. You can follow this rule by taking a break every 20 minutes, during which you look up at an object at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.
Live a Healthy Lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle benefits all parts of your body, including your eyes! As you age, it’s more important than ever to eat right, exercise regularly, get a good night’s sleep, and avoid bad habits.
There are many healthy foods that can benefit your eyes. Food like spinach, oranges, salmon, and nuts contain nutrients like vitamins A, C, and E, as well as zinc and omega-3 fatty acids, all of which promote eye health.
One of the best ways to protect not only your overall health but also the health of your eyes is to avoid smoking. Studies have shown that smoking increases your risk of developing eye conditions like dry eye, cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration.
Schedule Regular Eye Exams
As you age, your risk of developing an eye condition increases, which is why scheduling regular eye exams is a crucial part of healthy aging. Older individuals are more likely to develop vision-threatening eye conditions like cataracts and glaucoma.
A comprehensive eye exam not only ensures that your eye prescription is up-to-date, but it also can catch the signs of eye disease in the earliest stages. With most eye conditions, early intervention often leads to the best results.
Eye exams can do more than just protect the health of your eyes! Your eyes can show the telltale signs of health problems like high blood pressure, vitamin deficiencies, diabetes, and heart disease.
While aging can bring challenges to your health that you can’t control, you can take an active role in ensuring a lifetime of eye health! Things like wearing sunglasses, taking a break from screens, eating some almonds, and regularly visiting the friendly eye care professionals at Shepherd Eye Center can help you make every month Healthy Aging Month!
Is it time for you to have a routine eye exam? Schedule an appointment at Shepherd Eye Center at one of our 5 locations in Las Vegas or Henderson, NV, today!
