Tips to prevent eye problems

We can take a number of steps to prevent eye problems as we age. There are several eye health issues we want to prevent: dry eye, cataracts, macular degeneration an glaucoma. We cover these in more detail in this post.

Ways to prevent eye problems include:

Going for an annual eye check-up – especially if you have a family history of eye disease. The practitioner will test for long and short-sighted vision, pressure inside the eye, which is the main cause of glaucoma, and the health of your optic nerve and the macular.
Preventing diabetes is a good way to prevent eye problems, as it is the main cause of preventable vision loss.
Eating a low-fat diet rich in fresh, brightly-colored foods that are naturally high in antioxidants every day – especially whole grains and whole fruit and vegetables.
Eating more omega-3 fat, which you can get from deep sea fish, seeds or supplements. This can reduce your risk of macular degeneration.
Wearing sunglasses that wrap around your head or have side shields to reduce radiation exposure, and a hat, as solar damage is a major cause of vision loss.
Wearing eye protection when mowing, shredding, grinding or hammering.
Stopping smoking – even passive smoking puts your eyes at risk.