A Few Tips for Protecting Your Eyesight

Strong eyesight is an important part of a healthy life, but as many as one sixth of adults struggle with a sight-threatening eye condition. Even more adults will experience vision loss as they age. However, it’s not inevitable to lose your sight as you get older. By following some healthy guidelines, you can minimize your risk of eye problems and keep your eyes as healthy as possible well into your older years.

• The same lifestyle habits that serve you well in other areas will help protect your vision. You’ve heard the advice many times: stay active, eat a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables, and don’t smoke. It’s probably not surprising to learn, then, that this same advice can help you avoid health problems with your eyes. Make sure to eat plenty of dark leafy greens, foods rich in antioxidants, and fish full of omega-3 fatty acids. Stay hydrated, as well, because drinking water regularly can reduce your risk of dry eyes.
• Pay attention to any ways in which your vision is changing. Any time you notice a change in your vision, it’s wise to make an appointment with your eye doctor. Certain symptoms, however, warrant immediate attention. These include suddenly blurry or hazy vision, double vision, sudden or gradual loss of central vision or a reduction in your field of view, spots in your field of view, floaters, eye pain, difficulty seeing in low light, or seeing flashing light.
• Know how your family history affects your eyes. Because vision-threatening diseases like glaucoma, diabetes, or high blood pressure can run in families, ask pertinent questions to get an overall picture of your family’s medical history.
• Protect your eyes from harm. An important part of eye care is shielding your eyes from the sun’s UV rays. Select sunglasses designed to block 100% of both UVA and UVB rays. Ultraviolet light is not the only kind of light that’s harmful to your eyes, though. Blue light from computers and other screens can damage your eyes as well, so take regular breaks from your screen time and find ways to reduce your blue light exposure. Wear protective eyewear as much as possible, when exercising outdoors, doing home improvement tasks, or using machinery.
• Keep up with your doctor’s appointments. See your eye doctor for regular eye exams to maintain healthy eyesight. Catching sight-threatening diseases early can allow treatment that can slow or stop their progression. Before you see your eye doctor, make a list of questions you have so that you’ll remember to ask them. Stay up to date with your other healthcare appointments too, because conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure can have a serious impact on your vision if left untreated.

If you’re looking for an ophthalmologist or optometrist in Derry, Londonderry, Windham, or Raymond, Spindel Eye Associates is here for you. Celebrating over thirty-five years of eye care, we proudly provide our patients with personalized eye care, using top-of-the-line technology. For more information or to schedule an appointment call 603.421.6536 or contact us through our website.