One in every six adults over the age of 45 is affected by a sight-threatening eye issue. As we age, this risk continues to increase. The life expectancy of an American is longer than ever before, so we must make even greater efforts to protect and preserve our vision.

Some leading causes of blindness and low vision are cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. Keeping your eyesight healthy is quite simple, but it requires dedication and consistency. Here are some guidelines to maintain your vision:

 

1. Know your risk. Are you over the age of 65? Are you African American? Do you have a family history or personal history of diabetes? Does hypertension run in your family? You could be at increased risk for eye diseases that can cause permanent vision loss.
2. Eat a well-balanced diet and exercise regularly. Center your diet on colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and lean proteins to give your eyes the nutrients they need. Physical exercise is also important because it helps prevent hypertension and diabetes, conditions that increase your risk for eye disease.
3. Visit your primary care physician and eye doctor regularly. Hypertension and diabetes are precursors to exudative macular degeneration, eye strokes and diabetic retinopathy. Annual wellness checks and comprehensive eye exams will help you stay healthier and preserve your vision.
4. Sport those shades. UV radiation exposes your eyes to free radicals that cause vision damage. Choose sunglasses that offer 100% UVA and UVB protection, and wear them whenever you are outdoors. It is important to also wear sunglasses on cloudy days and in the winter.
5. Wear proper eye protection. Safety glasses and safety goggles should always be worn when you are using machinery, power tools or chemicals.
6. Be aware of any changes in your vision. If you notice any warning signs such as double vision, blurred vision, eye pain, floaters, flashes of light, or swelling of the eye, contact your eye doctor immediately.

There is no escaping getting older, but there is no reason that you cannot have healthy vision that lasts a lifetime. These steps are not difficult, but they require discipline. If you are not sure of where to start, begin by making an appointment with your primary care physician and your eye doctor. At those appointments, you will receive specific feedback about eye health and targeted suggestions for improvement.

Your vision is important to you, but it is probably safe to say that you place equal importance on heart health. So how do you choose between an eye-friendly diet or a heart-friendly diet? The good news is that you do not have to choose because the same foods that nourish your vision are also beneficial to your cardiovascular health.

Use these four foods as basic guidelines, and make selections within these food families for optimum eye (and heart) health.

Kale

Kale is one of the best sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants that also reduce the risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. One study found that women who consumed high amounts of lutein were 23 percent less likely to develop cataracts than women who ate low amounts of lutein. Sauté kale in some olive oil and garlic as a side dish, or make a fresh kale salad with nuts, dried fruit and feta cheese.  Substitutes for kale include spinach, Swiss chard, collard greens, turnip greens, peas, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.

Oranges

Of all the citrus fruits, the orange is probably the favorite. Tangy, yet sweet, the orange comes in countless varieties. Mandarins, tangerines, navels, or blood oranges offer plenty of vitamin C, an essential antioxidant for healthy vision. A diet that includes a full recommended allowance of vitamin C can help prevent or delay cataracts and macular degeneration. Other foods that are high in vitamin C are lemons, limes, grapefruit, strawberries, red and orange peppers, tomatoes, and peaches.

Salmon

Salmon, as well as tuna, mackerel, anchovies, and trout are rich in DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid found in the retina. DHA is essential to retinal health and is instrumental in preventing eye disease. A 2010 study from Johns Hopkins found that people who ate a diet that was high in omega-3 fatty acid were less likely to develop age-related macular degeneration.

Black-eyed peas

Zinc is an essential mineral that is found in high concentration in the eyes, and it protects against the damaging effects of light. Black-eyed peas are some of the best sources of zinc in the legume family. If you are not a fan of black-eyed peas, try kidney beans, lima beans, split peas, or pinto beans. Other great sources of zinc include oysters, lean red meat and poultry.

A healthy diet is essential for vision health and heart health, but 87 percent of Americans fall short of their daily requirements of vegetables and 76 percent are not eating their recommended amounts of fruits. Maybe it’s time for a little self-assessment of your daily diet so you can protect your vision for years to come.

Every year, new technology is developed to treat eye diseases that threaten our vision. A group of researchers at University College London and the Western Eye Hospital have made a recent breakthrough in glaucoma detection. Using equipment that is already routinely used in hospital eye examinations, the research team developed a way to visualize individual nerve cell death.

Glaucoma refers to a family of diseases that is characterized by optic nerve damage, the nerve that transmits visual images to the brain. Increased inner eye pressure creates stress on optic nerve cells, causing cell death and irreversible vision loss.

The researchers believe that their simple, inexpensive diagnostic tool could revolutionize how glaucoma is diagnosed. One of the most challenging aspects of glaucoma is that it often has no symptoms in the early stages. This means that patients can lose a significant portion of their vision before the disease is discovered. There is currently no cure for glaucoma, so scientists must focus on early detection to prevent vision loss.

The new technique uses fluorescent markers that attach to cell proteins when injected into patients. Eye doctors can identify diseased cells because they will appear as fluorescent white spots. The research team hopes that this same technology may be instrumental in early diagnosis of other degenerative neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis.

Professor Francesca Cordeiro at UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, research team leader, stated, “Detecting glaucoma early is vital as symptoms are not always obvious. Although detection has been improving, most patients have lost a third of vision by the time they are diagnosed. Now, for the first time, we have been able to show individual cell death and detect the earliest signs of glaucoma. While we cannot cure the disease, our test means treatment can start before symptoms begin” (Source: Science Daily).

The sunshine is here to stay! It’s time to plant those petunias, take long walks in the neighborhood and enjoy lunch on the back deck. Your calendar is wide open, and you can’t wait to fill up those days with baseball games and outdoor concerts to soak in some sun.

To protect your vision and keep the tissues around your eyes healthy, here are some summer tips to protect those peepers:

Check the Clock
The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays are most intense between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Try to avoid spending time in the direct sun during those hours, and enjoy your outdoor activities earlier in the morning or in the later afternoon and evening.

Buy a New Hat
Summer styles change each year, so buy a new hat that will protect your vision and make a fashion statement. The hats that provide the best protection against UV rays have a wide brim that will protect your face, ears and even your neck and shoulders.

Find Sunglasses You Love
It’s time to throw out that pair of sunglasses that are scratched up in the junk drawer and buy a new pair that you’ll look forward to wearing every day. Try something different like bright colored frames or a different lens shape. Whatever shape of lens you choose, go large! Big lenses offer more eye protection. One requirement should always stay the same, and that is a pair of sunglasses that offers 100 percent UV protection.

Apply Sunscreen Regularly
Wrinkles only look cute on dogs, so be generous with the sunscreen and remember to reapply often. Choose the correct sunscreen level for your skin tone, and don’t forget to check the expiration date of the product. If your sunscreen has expired, it is not providing the protective benefits that your skin needs. Throw it out and buy a new bottle (Source: Superior Vision).

Protecting your skin is easy, and you can show some style while you’re at it. Enjoy a fun-filled summer of all the outdoor activities you love most. Before you finish filling your calendar, set aside a day to have a comprehensive eye exam. Your ophthalmologist will test your vision, adjust your prescription and evaluate your eyes for several common diseases. An eye exam is an hour well-spent in the shade before going back out to play!