Approximately 12 million adults over the age of 40 have some form of vision impairment. Some common problems include refractive errors, dry eyes, glaucoma, and cataracts.
Left untreated, they can impact your vision in various ways. Take dry eyes, for example, it can cause blurry vision as well as light sensitivity.
While there’s no way to prevent these conditions per se, there are things that you can do to keep your eyes healthy.
Interested? Looking for some eye care tips? If so, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading for everything that you need to know!
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1. Eat Vision-Healthy Foods
Certain vitamins and minerals found in food may help reduce your risk of developing eye conditions. Take fatty fish such as salmon, for example, they’re rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can help prevent dry eyes.
Eggs are another great option. The yolk contains vitamin A, which will help protect the cornea. Not only that, but it also contains lutein and zeaxanthin—powerful antioxidants that will protect your eyes from harmful free radicals.
Other eye-healthy foods include nuts, carrots, leafy green vegetables, sweet potatoes, and lean meat.
2. Practice Healthy Eyelid Hygiene
Proper eyelid hygiene can help prevent blepharitis and other conditions. Not only that, but it’ll also protect the glands that line the eyelids and that can help with tear production (more about dry eye disease).
Start by washing your hands with warm, soapy water. Apply a small amount of baby shampoo to a clean washcloth (make sure to dilute it with water first) and gently rub it against your closed eyelids. You can also use pre-moistened eyelid cleansing wipes.
That’ll help remove any bacteria or debris that’s built up along the eyelid margin. Rinse your eyes with warm water afterward.
How often should you do it? Once a day (unless you’re experiencing symptoms in which you’ll want to do it more often).
3. Go For Regular Eye Exams
As a general rule, you want to go to the optometrist for a complete eye exam at least once every two to three years. For those above the age of 65, it’s recommended that you go at least once a year.
They’ll be able to ensure that your vision is as clear as possible. Not only that, but it’ll also allow them to detect eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, or macular degeneration at their earliest stage—when they’re most treatable.
This is important as many of these conditions have minimal symptoms until the disease has progressed.
Eye Care Tips For Healthy Vision
And there you have it—three eye care tips that’ll help protect your vision! As you can see, there are different things that you can do to maintain healthy sight, from eating vision-healthy foods to going for regular eye exams.
Did you find these tips helpful? Looking for more content like this? If so, be sure to check out the rest of our health section for more articles!
