The human eye is a tremendously complex structure. Biology designed it to take in light waves from the universe and package them up in a way that our brains could understand and experience – a remarkable feat.
Vision issues, however, can creep in as we get older. You don’t notice any changes at first. And then all of a sudden, you find yourself unable to do things you once could.
In this post, we’re going to look at some common vision problems people of a particular age face, and how to deal with them. In some cases, you can prevent and even reverse the damage done with glasses and lifestyle modifications. Check it out below.
What Are Vision Problems?
For many moms, vision problems start to kick in around the time the kids leave the nest. You’re reading a magazine one day, and you suddenly realize that you can’t focus on it quite how you used to. Could you need glasses?
The causes of vision problems are many. The vast majority of them relate to changes in the quality of the tissue that constructs the eye. Some issues are lens problems, but not all. Others involve a loss of light-sensing cells while some have to do with new growths over the eye itself.
How To Prevent Cataracts
A cataract is a condition that results in a clouding of the lens between the eye and the retina. The small, jelly-like piece of material suddenly develops microscopic imperfections, which all add up to block income light, making everything look blurry and ill-defined. Living with cataracts feels like staring out across a field on a foggy morning – but all the time.
Many researchers, however, think that cataracts are amenable through lifestyle choices. In other words, it’s not an inevitable consequence of aging. It is actually something you can prevent.
UVA and UVB light from the sun, for instance, is a leading cause of cataracts. High-energy light particles beam down and smash the genetic material in lens cells. This damage then leads to problems creating the translucent proteins that the eye needs to interpret incoming lighting accurately.
Interestingly, smoking has the same effect, but it does its harm on the inside. Chemicals from cigarettes get into the blood and start creating oxidative stress that damages the eyes over many years.
High blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes can all also put you at risk of developing cataracts.
Therefore, the trick is to make sure that you shield your eyes just as well as you would your skin. Wearing appropriate sunglasses made in USA and stopping smoking can both help tremendously.
How To Prevent Retinopathy,
Diabetic retinopathy is a disease of the retina that often accompanies diabetes. Sometimes, the blood vessels in the retina can swell, causing floaters and leading blood vessels to leak, resulting in flashes, pain, and pressure.
Whether you can prevent this condition depends on your genetics and whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
If you have type 1 diabetes, lifestyle change is unlike to prevent the disease from occurring. Your best bet is to stick to a super healthy diet recommended by plant-based doctors and keep close tabs on your blood glucose levels.
If you have type 2 diabetes, you may be able to stop the condition from developing at all through simple lifestyle changes. Things like avoiding fatty food – especially those that combine sugar – can help a great deal. You can also make your muscles more insulin-sensitive by regularly exercising them.
If you currently have either type of diabetes, experts recommend that you visit your primary care physician at least once per year for a checkup. They’ll examine your retina to see whether there have been any substantial changes between now and your last visit. If they have altered in any way, it could be a sign that you need to focus on controlling your blood glucose levels with either insulin, exercise, or diet.
How To Prevent Macular Degeneration
Macular degeneration has features of both cataract and diabetic retinopathy. It is like the former because it involves damage to the tissue that comprises the eye. But it is like the latter, in the sense that it affects the retina.
The macular is a cluster of cells in the center of the retina, responsible for central vision (as opposed to peripheral). The cells just cease working as they once did, causing the signal from the eyes to the brain to slowly weaken over time.
Often macular degeneration occurs at a slow pace. But over the years, it can lead to severe vision problems and even blindness. It is critical, therefore, that individuals with the condition adjust their lifestyles to prevent further damage.
So what can you do to slash your risk of developing this disease?
It’s all the usual stuff you’d expect. Researchers, for instance, think that high cholesterol levels are a risk factor for macular degeneration. So getting plenty of exercise and avoiding excessive meat consumption might help.
As before, smoking is another problem that can double your risk of getting the condition – not something you want.
And, finally, high blood pressure can set you up for problems too. Blood vessels at the back of the eye can become damaged, harming the delicate light-sensing tissue further.
It is vital to catch macular degeneration early because of its nasty habit of progressing to full-blown sight loss. Speak to your doctor and optician, and find ways to slow down the damage. Avoiding the sun and adding plenty of healthy greens to your diet could help substantially.
How To Deal With Refractive Errors
Finally, refractive errors are one of the most common vision problems – and most straightforward to solve.
Preventing these usually isn’t possible. Refractive issues occur when the shape of your eye’s lens doesn’t match the structure of the eye itself. These are what make you long or short-sighted.
For many people, the solution is to get an eye exam. Opticians will tell you in a matter of minutes what’s wrong with your eyes by examining them up close.
