In the USA, more than four million people are either legally blind or have vision loss. Blindness or reduction in vision capacity are caused by age related condition such as age related-macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. Most of these conditions are highly controllable and with lifestyle changes like the ones listed here, you can prevent vision problems.

Keep Your Blood Sugar Levels Within Normal Range

Diabetes is a common cause of blindness among the elderly. This is because the condition destroys the nerves including the optic nerve leading to insensitive retina which leads to vision loss. 90 percent of diabetic blindness is preventable so you just need to monitor your sugars and you will be okay.

• Check your cholesterol levels and work to increase the HDL and lower the LDL
• Maintain your blood pressure within normal range or to be below 140/90mmHG
• A1c on this test, the goal is to make sure it is less than 7% to be on the safe side always

An eye doctor can perform these tests and since its voluntary, you need to make it a routine to have your eyes checked always. A comprehensive dilated eye exam is one of those exams that should be done on routine basis.

Eat a Perfect Diet

You might have heard that vitamin A is good at protecting night blindness and the source for that nutrient is the carrot. That is okay but vitamin A is not only in carrots, it is also available in vegetables and fruits. Darky leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, or collard greens are always the best in ensuring you have an excellent eye sight.

Besides fruits and vegetables, fish oils and omega three fatty acids are also important in ensuring you have a healthy vision. People with diabetic eye disease have been shown to improve when they control sugars and take fish in their diet.

Your Weight is Very Important

Being overweight means fat is accumulating in your body and if it can occlude your blood vessels it can also impair blood supply to your eyes. Cholesterol and fats are always hand in hand so whenever you are overweight there is also bad cholesterol in your body which could lead to central vision loss.

To prevent being overweight, you can always exercise and reduce your fat intake. Don’t stop eating fats completely because they are needed by the body but you can limit the intake to optimum levels.

Wear Protective Eyewear

Have you ever thought that your bond eye could be tampered and lead to blindness? 90 percent of people don’t prefer bothering themselves wearing protective shields even when doing something risky to their eyes.

Take for example an activity like cycling, it is a normal activity but when if you lose direction or fall into something. Protective shields are made of polycarbonate so they are stronger than the glass itself. Wear your shades and during risky activity, make sure to wear a protective shield. That is the best way to ensure you don’t increase the risk of harming your eyes from distance objects.

Smoking increases the amount of nicotine your body which is a very serious vasoconstrictor. The more you smoke and age, the more the vessels to your eyes are affected. Your eyes could become dry to the extent that you might need artificial tears for you to irrigate your eyes. Stop smoking and make sure you always visit your doctor as part of the disease control measures.

Relax and Rest

The 21st century is a modern advanced world where people are always on bright LCDs devices. The eyes are ever busy from computers on workplace, dashboard car LCDs, phones to TVs and laptops at home.

All these tire up the eyes and as a person, you need to give your eyes a rest. Make sure you have enough sleep and relax well before you embark onto the next task on your LCD screens. With maximum exposure to light, you could end up tampering with your vision capability.

A positive healthy family history of eye diseases is always a red alert to developing an eye problem. If your father or mother had an eye disease from conditions such as macular degeneration, you are most likely at higher risk of getting it. Else, if your family have eyes healthy then you are all good!

By knowing such a history, people can be able to practice good habits so that they prevent vision problems.

Conclusion

Eye diseases are common among people and as some are due to accidents and unpreventable infections, most of these problems are due to aging and long-term medical conditions.

With proper care and consultation with eye doctor and precautionary measures and improvement on diet, one can prevent the occurrence of blindness. Cure before warning signs.