Top 10 Tips To Save Your Vision
- Wear sunglasses when outdoors – particularly UV protection sunglasses. This can help delay the formation of cataract and pterygium, prevent retinal damage and also protect the delicate skin around the eyes.
- Don’t smoke. Smoking is linked to the development of macular degeneration and cataracts.
- Eat right. Enjoying a healthy diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables and high in nutrients has been shown to lower the risk of glaucoma and macular degeneration.
- Baseline eye examination. You should have regular annual visits to your ophthalmologist from the age of 40, even if you are having no symptoms of eye problems.
- Eye protection. Wearing eye protection whilst playing high contact sports or participating in activities that may cause eye injury is advised. We recommend wearing eye protection for activities such as gardening, mowing, and home repair projects.
- Know your family history. Many eye diseases such as cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy run in families. Knowing your family history is beneficial because you may be at increased risk.
- Early intervention. Eye diseases such as macular degeneration and glaucoma generally have a better outcome if they are detected and treated early. If left untreated, these eye diseases can cause loss of vision and blindness.
- Know your eye care provider. Ophthalmologists are specially trained to provide the full spectrum of eye health care, from the prescribing of glasses and contact lenses, to intricate eye surgery.
- Contact lens care. Following your optometrist or ophthalmologists advice about contact lens wear and care is imperative to eye health. The golden rules for contact lens wear are not to overwear your contact lenses, never sleep with your contact lenses in the eye, and to follow good hygiene practices.
- Beware of eye fatigue, especially if using a computer for extended periods. If you suffer from eye strain, use the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, look up and away from your screen to a distance of 20 feet (6 metres) for 20 seconds.
These tips were adapted from the American Academy of Ophthalmology. For further information, please visit: http://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/top-10-tips-to-save-your-vision-2
For more information on these sight saving tips, or to book an appointment with one of our expert ophthalmologists, please call our office at Sydney Ophthalmic Specialists on (02) 9241 2913.
