Caring for Your Eyes

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It cannot be repeated often enough—that you should take care of your eyes so that they will serve you well for the rest of your life. Did you know that your nutritional intake will care for your eyes as well? We hear about and follow through on diet advice for obesity, cholesterol, and diabetes. But what about the correct diet for good eyesight?

Lipids or fatty tissues make up most of the very complex organ that is the eye. Sometimes the light that enters the eye can turn into free radicals. These are extremely reactive chemicals that contain oxygen and can damage the eye’s fatty tissues. Aging and deterioration of vision, cataracts, and macular degeneration are caused by these free radicals. The last two also cause adults to become blind. It is well known, though, that the effect of free radicals can be reduced by antioxidants.

These antioxidants slow down, minimize, and repair the damage done by the free radicals, rendering them harmless and eliminating them from the body. To ensure that your body has a proper supply of antioxidants make sure your diet includes a lot of green leafy vegetables and fresh fruits, vitamins A, C, and E, carrots, broccoli, peppers, and fish. Reduce your intake of refined carbohydrates such as processed flours and white sugar as these increase your levels of blood glucose, which leads to an increased risk of macular degeneration.

You should also be aware that diabetic retinopathy leads to total blindness as the blood vessels are blocked; diabetes adds to the problem and the risk goes up as you age. But laser therapy and a vitrectomy can help with this disease. Laser surgery also deals well with macular degeneration, where the retina and central vision are affected. With cataracts the eye lens are clouded and the risk of this increases with diabetes, smoking, and excessive exposure to sunlight. Surgery can help with cataracts and reduce the possibility of vision loss. The optic nerve, which takes information from the eye to the brain, can be affected by glaucoma, and the nerve may be damaged to a large extent before loss of vision is apparent. If glaucoma is diagnosed early and treated quickly its effects can be reduced, otherwise the loss of vision is irreversible.

Impaired vision or blindness can take a big toll on the quality of your life. While treatments have improved and people are more aware of health risks, it is best to take care right from the start. Make sure your diet is healthy and includes all the necessary nutrients. Your lifestyle should also be one that is conducive to good health. Take all matters pertaining to the eye as being serious and have regular checkups and consultations with the doctor. Don’t neglect your eyes and don’t take them for granted and they will be an asset to you all your life.