Look after your eyes
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When was the last time you went for a eye test? Can't remember? People tend to forget that they need to look after their eyesight until it starts to fail and by then it's too late. There are eye conditions such as glaucoma that can be prevented by taking care of yourself and getting eye tests regularly.
As well as getting your eyes tested (and this can be as little as once every two years if you are not a high-risk patient), there are other things you can do to help keep your eyes healthy. What you eat can affect your eyesight, and I don't mean carrots helping you to see in the dark. Although carrots do contain something called beta-carotene which gets converted to vitamin A and that is good for your eye health. Other vegetables you should eat plenty of are spinach, sweetcorn and yellow peppers - these all contain an antioxidant that can protect your eyes from damage from smoking drinking and UV rays.
Speaking of smoking and drinking, guess what? They both contribute to your eyes deteriorating. Alcohol isn't necessarily terrible but it can destroy antioxidants in your body. But smoking is a big no-no. It increases your risk of getting cataracts in which the lens of your eye thickens and also a disease called age-related macular degeneration. Cataracts are treatable but AMD is completely irreversible.
Both these diseases are also aggravated by obesity. Being obese greatly increases the risk of getting these eye problems and also, because of the greater risk of developing diabetes, another disease called diabetic retinopathy can become a danger. Both AMD and diabetic retinopathy can result in blindness. The good news is that exercise does help your eye health. It may sound strange but working out your cardiovascular system will improve your circulation and this in turn helps prevent sight loss associated with diabetes and high blood pressure. So what's the moral of this story? Eat well, get some exercise and above all book an eye test!
Know any good optometrists? Have you got any tips for looking after your eyes Leave a comment and share your thoughts.
