6 Ways to Protect Your Eyesight

Even if you start out in life with perfect vision, everyone experiences some amount of vision loss as they age. In fact, at any given time a reported 23.7 million adult Americans experience the effects of worsening vision. While some vision loss is inevitable with age, there are also specific things you can do to strengthen and protect your eyesight, helping to mitigate this. Here are six great ways to protect your eyesight:

See the Eye Doctor Regularly

Instead of waiting until you experience obvious vision loss to see the eye doctor, it's smart to get in the habit of having your vision checked every year or two. This allows your eye doctor to discover and treat potential problems before they become more serious. Routine eye exams also provide a baseline of what your normal vision is like, to compare changes to in the future. Plus, you will discover if you need minor vision correction now (such as reading glasses), which will help give your eyes the boost they need in order to avoid damaging eye strain.

Get Plenty of Antioxidants in Your Diet

Studies have shown that increasing your daily intake of foods that are rich in antioxidants and vitamins can have a major effect on your eye health, preventing or slowing down the progression of vision loss. Antioxidant-rich foods include dark leafy greens, fruits, berries, and veggies. Make it a personal challenge to add at least one of these foods to each meal during the day. You can also start off your day with a mega dose of antioxidants by making a green smoothie with frozen berries and dark, leafy greens for breakfast.

Don't Skip Annual Physicals at Your Doctor's Office

In addition to visiting the eye doctor, it's important to keep up on regular doctor's visits as well. Certain health conditions, such as diabetes, can contribute to vision loss and eye disease. By keeping up on your overall health, you will be able to catch potentially eye-damaging health risks early on.

Commit to Quit Smoking

While you already know that smoking is bad for your health, not as many people realize it also has a serious effect on your eye health. In fact, smoking has been linked to increased macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma, among other vision problems. If you were already considering quitting, protecting your eyesight may provide additional motivation.

Reduce the Negative Effects of Screen Time

Spending too much time squinting at a computer, phone, or tablet screen can contribute toward your eyes becoming weaker over time. While today's world doesn't allow for many people to avoid screen time, you can do things to limit its impact. Bumping up the font size on your screen so you can read easily without squinting is a great idea.

Take breaks from the computer throughout your workday, even if it's just taking a few minutes to stretch your muscles and blink your eyes to wake them up a bit. When you're not at work, make an effort to spend less time staring at screens by replacing some of that time with healthier activities, like spending time with your family and exercising.

Wear Decent Sunglasses

UV rays from the sun are not only bad for your skin, but they can also cause eyesight problems over time. Make it a point to always wear sunglasses when driving or otherwise exposing your eyes to sunlight. It's important to choose sunglasses that are labeled as providing broad spectrum UV protection in order to makes sure your sunglasses are truly protecting your eyes. Polarized sunglasses are a great option, since they protect your eyes while also letting you see clearly and accurately.

By following these tips, you will be taking proactive steps in protecting your eye health and vision for as long as possible. To learn more, contact services like Absolute Vision Care.