Did you know that half of all eyesight issues and vision loss can be prevented? Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial, as is maintaining a healthy lifestyle. What does that mean exactly? Here are some of the simple choices you can make every day to protect your eyes.
1. Eat Well for Better Eye Health
Good eye health starts with the food on your plate. Nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zinc, and vitamins C and E can help ward off age-related vision issues like macular degeneration (which makes it hard for you to see things right in front of you) and cataracts (cloudy spots on the lens of your eye).
To get enough of these nutrients, try to eat:
- Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, and collards
- Broccoli and Brussels sprouts
- Salmon, tuna, sardines, and other oily fish
- Colorful veggies such as sweet potatoes, carrots, and red peppers
- Eggs, nuts, beans, and other nonmeat protein sources
- Oranges, nectarines, grapefruit, kiwi and other citrus fruits
- Zinc-rich foods such as chickpeas, oysters, and yogurt
2. Exercise to Keep Your Eyes Healthy
Unless your doctor advises otherwise, try to exercise 150 minutes each week. You don't have to do it all at once. You may find it works best with your schedule to get moving 30 minutes at a time, five days each week. Any activity that gets your body moving counts, whether it's a cardio class, a brisk walk with a friend, or raking leaves in your yard.
How does exercise benefit your eyes?
Working out increases the amount of blood and nutrients that flow throughout your body, including to your eyes. Studies show that long-term exercise can boost tissue healing. It can also reduce oxidative stress, an imbalance in your body when you have more toxins than antioxidants to fight them off.
Being active can also help you maintain a healthy weight. That's good for your eyes, too. Research shows that extra pounds can lead to inflammation throughout your body. That can result in eye issues such as cataracts, macular degeneration, and glaucoma, which damages your optic nerve and prevents your eyes from properly sending information to your brain.
Obesity also raises your risk for type 2 diabetes, the leading cause of blindness in adults. Over time, high blood sugar can cause serious damage to the small blood vessels in your eyes.
If you find it hard to get moving 150 minutes each week, do what you can. Any amount of physical activity is better than nothing.
3. Quit Smoking to Protect Your Vision
Tobacco use increases your risk for cataracts, optic nerve damage, macular degeneration, and many other health issues. If you've tried to kick the habit before only to start again, you already know that quitting tobacco can be tricky.
That's because nicotine, the main chemical in tobacco, changes how your brain works. It fools you into thinking that you need more nicotine to feel okay. Once you quit using tobacco, it can take a few weeks before this craving goes away. During that time, you could have symptoms such as feeling irritated, finding it hard to focus, and trouble sleeping.
Smoking or vaping may also have become a big part of your daily routine. To quit for good, it can help to replace it with other healthy habits. For instance, when a craving hits, you may instead choose to text a friend, listen to music, or go for a short walk.
Don't give up if your first attempt to quit tobacco doesn't work. That's really common. Think about asking your doctor for help. Studies show that even getting a few quick tips from them raises your chances of swearing off smoking for good.
4. Wear Sunglasses to Safeguard Eye Health
The right pair of shades will help protect your eyes from the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays. Too much in your eyes can increase your chances of cataracts and macular degeneration. Even on cloudy days, your eyes aren't necessarily safer, as UV rays can still pass through the haze.
When shopping for sunglasses, choose a pair that can do at least one of the following:
- Block 100% of UV rays
- Block both UV-A and UV-B rays
- Offer UV400 protection
Wraparound lenses help protect your eyes from the side. Polarized (anti-glare) lenses don't have anything to do with blocking UV exposure. But they can cut down on how much glare is reflected into your eyes from surfaces such as water, snow, and sidewalks.
If you wear contact lenses, some types offer built-in UV protection. But it's still a good idea to wear sunglasses for an extra layer.
5. Use Safety Eyewear
Every day, about 2,000 people injure their eyes while at work. That's more likely to happen if you work around harmful substances that can get into your eyes or if you risk being struck in the eye accidentally, such as in:
- Construction
- Plumbing
- Woodworking
- Mining
- Car repair
- Farming
- Landscaping
- Health care
Wearing safety glasses or protective goggles is important. The lenses are made from tough materials that can protect your eyes and are unlikely to shatter.
Sports such as ice hockey, racquetball, and lacrosse can also lead to eye injury. To keep your eyes healthy, always wear a helmet with a protective face mask or sports goggles that can shield your eyes.
If you already wear glasses, talk to your doctor about getting prescription lenses in your sports goggles.
6. Protect Your Eyes from Blue Light
Staring at a computer or phone screen for too long can cause:
- Eye strain
- Blurry vision
- Trouble focusing at a distance
- Dry eyes
- Headaches
- Neck, back, and shoulder pain
You might have heard that this is because of blue light emitted by the screens on tablets, TVs, phones, computers, and other devices. Human eyes aren't great at blocking it out. Over time, blue light may start to damage cells inside your eyes and raise your risk for conditions such as macular degeneration and cataracts.
Another issue with lots of screen time is that it keeps you from blinking as much as you need to. This can lead to eye strain and dry eye disease (DED). If you have dry eyes, your eyes stop making enough tears to keep the surface of your eyes moist. As a result, your eyes may sting, your vision might be blurry, and wearing contact lenses could be painful.
To protect your eyes:
- Make sure your glasses or contacts prescription is up to date and good for looking at a computer screen.
- If your eye strain won’t go away, talk to your doctor about computer glasses.
- Move the screen so your eyes are level with the top of the monitor. That lets you look slightly down at the screen.
- Try to avoid glare from windows and lights. Use an anti-glare screen if needed.
- Choose a comfortable, supportive chair. Position it so that your feet are flat on the floor.
- If your eyes are dry, blink more or try using artificial tears.
- Rest your eyes every 20 minutes. Look 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Get up at least every two hours and take a 15-minute break.
7. Practice Good Eye Hygiene
To protect your eye health every day, you can:
Wash your hands. We all touch our faces more than we realize. One study put the number at 23 times an hour. Cleaning your hands often will help reduce the number of germs that make contact with your eyes.
Try not to share towels. Using your own towel and washcloth will help prevent how much dirt and bacteria find their way to your eyes. Also, avoid sharing eye masks, pillowcases, sheets, and eye makeup.
Remove makeup before bed. Sleeping with eye makeup on can irritate your eyelids and lashes. Use makeup remover to take off the excess. And remember to throw away old or expired makeup. While it may still look okay, it could harbor lots of germs that will get into your eyes.
Take care of your contacts. For instance, wash your hands before touching your contacts. Use fresh contact lens solution every day, and change your storage case every three months. Keep track of when you need to replace your contacts. Wearing old ones for too long could scratch or infect the surface of your eyes.
8. Stay on Top of Your Eye Health
Everyone needs a regular eye exam, even young kids. They can make sure you're seeing as well as possible and find diseases such as glaucoma, that have no noticeable symptoms. It's important to spot eye issues early on, when they're easier to treat.
Depending on your eye health needs, you can see one of two types of doctors:
- Ophthalmologists are medical doctors who specialize in eye care. They can provide general eye care, treat eye diseases, and perform eye surgery.
- Optometrists have had four years of specialized training after college. They provide general eye care and can diagnose and treat most eye diseases. They don't do eye surgery.
A full eye exam might include:
- Talking about your personal and family medical history
- Vision tests to see if you’re nearsighted, farsighted, have an astigmatism (a curved cornea that blurs vision), or presbyopia (age-related vision changes)
- Tests to see how well your eyes work together
- Eye pressure and optic nerve tests to check for glaucoma
- Using special eye drops that allow the doctor to see inside your eye
Your eye doctor could also suggest other tests.
Takeaways
Don't wait until you have a problem with your vision to take care of your eyes. Simple things such as eating healthy foods, trying to get regular exercise, and going for eye exams can all help protect your eye health. Many eye issues have a better outlook when they're found and treated early.
Eye Health FAQs
What are the worst foods for eye health?
Early research signals that a high glycemic diet could hurt your eye health. High glycemic foods are ones that quickly raise your blood sugar level, such as:
- White bread
- Baked goods such as cakes and doughnuts
- Most packaged cereals
Try to limit or avoid these foods. Instead, fill your plate with fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and whole grains such as brown rice or whole-wheat bread.
What are the most common causes of vision loss in older adults?
If you're 40 or older, you're most likely to lose your vision because of one of these conditions:
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Cataracts
- Macular degeneration
- Glaucoma
How often should I get an eye exam?
If you have healthy eyes, aim to have:
- An eye exam in your 20s
- Two eye exams in your 30s
- An eye exam at age 40
Based on the results, your eye doctor can advise when you should get your eyes checked again.
- Once you're 65, have your eyes checked every one or two years.
You'll need an eye exam more often if you have:
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- A family history of eye disease
- Contact lenses
If you notice changes in your vision, have an eye injury, or think you have an eye infection, see an eye doctor right away.
Babies and children need to have their eyes checked, too. Talk to your child's doctor about the guidelines to follow.
What are the best vitamins for improving eye health?
Although more research needs to be done, the following vitamins and minerals may help protect your eyes or slow down how quickly eye conditions progress:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Copper
- Zinc
- Lutein
- Zeaxanthin
But if you're eating a healthy diet, you probably don't need to take any supplements. If you still want to try an over-the-counter product, check with your doctor first. Some supplements can interfere with prescription medications or could be harmful in high doses.
