How Do I Know if I Have Age-Related Eye Health Issues?

how-do-i-know-if-i-have-age-related-eye-health-issues.jpgIt’s estimated that 1.8 million people have age-related eye health issues, while 7.3 million are at risk. Which are you? Age-related eye health issues are the leading cause of vision loss in the U.S in those 50+. These issues don’t develop overnight— they progress slowly. Symptoms of age-related eye health issues don’t usually surface in the early stages. People can go weeks or months without realizing their vision is changing. So, the question becomes simple…

How Do I Know If I Have Age-Related Eye Health Issues?

To know for sure, your eye doctor can give you a comprehensive eye exam with a detailed view of the retina. But, you should definitely tell your eye doctor if you’ve noticed anything different about your vision, such as:
  • Sharpness in vision gradually lost
  • Straight lines appear wavy
  • Distorted appearance of objects
  • A dark or empty space in the center of vision
These are signs and symptoms of age-related eye health issues. how-do-i-know-if-i-have-age-related-eye-health-issues-1.jpg Unfortunately, if age-related eye health issues are found, there’s not much that can be done to revert back to your normal quality of vision. Once central vision is gone (common development in age-related eye health issues), there is no recovering it. While total vision loss will not occur, simple daily tasks like driving, reading, watching TV, etc.  become difficult. That begs the question…

How Can I Protect My Vision From These Issues?

Knowing if you have a likelihood of developing age-related eye health issues gives you an edge to mitigating the risk. Common risk factors include:
  • Smoking cigarettes
  • Diabetes
  • Increasing age
  • Unprotected sun exposure when young
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol levels
  • Obesity
  • Cardiovascular diseases
  • Light skin and/or eyes
  • Family history
  • Unhealthy lifestyle
  • Unhealthy diet with the absence of leafy green vegetables
It should be said that many of these factors are out of our control. We can’t go back in time and make different decisions revolving around our health, but simple life changes can help mitigate the risk of developing age-related eye health issues in the future. Even if you currently have age-related eye health issues, these healthy choices can keep these issues from getting worse.

Lifestyle Changes For Healthy Vision

Dr. Raymond Brill at Brill eye Center suggests these lifestyle changes:
  • Stop or avoid smoking.
  • Always wear sunglasses when outside during the day.
  • Exercise regularly throughout the week (walk outside, go for a run, ride your bike, etc.).
  • Keep an eye on your blood pressure and cholesterol and try to maintain normal levels.
  • Eat the right things like leafy green vegetables, fish, and fresh fruit.
  • Take an eye vitamin to get an adequate supply of zeaxanthin and lutein.

At Risk for or Have Age-Related Eye Health Issues? An Eye Vitamin Can Help!

Nutrition plays a key part in keeping your vision protected as you age. Two nutrients called zeaxanthin and lutein protect your vision from age-related eye health issues by shielding your vision from oxidative stress and harmful blue light, two factors that play into age-related eye health issues. Zeaxanthin and lutein can be found in food, but it’s hard to eat enough food to get the right amount of these nutrients our eyes need. That’s where an eye vitamin can help! Taking a daily eye vitamin can shield our vision from developing age-related eye health issues or help stop them from getting worse. Learn more about zeaxanthin and lutein here!

https://www.lvcenter4sight.com/how-do-i-know-if-i-have-age-related-eye-health-issues/

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