Eye Health 101: Is Your Lifestyle Affecting Your Vision

Although aging, genetics and certain health conditions can have an impact your vision, it is important to understand that lifestyle can affect your vision. In fact, there are numerous factors that can play havoc on your eyesight. The good news is that there are many preventative changes you can make in your daily life that will help you maintain good vision.

Quit Smoking

Most everyone knows that smoking increases the risk of cancer and heart disease. However, a little known fact is that smoking significantly increases the risk of developing cataracts when compared to non-smokers. In actual fact, research shows that people who smoke are two times more likely to form cataracts. In addition, the risk increases the longer you smoke. There is also solid evidence that links smoking and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), along with Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy and other diseases that lead to blindness. So a great way to prevent most eyes diseases is to stop smoking.

Limit Alcohol Consumption

Studies show that excess or binge drinking can have a negative effect on the eyes. In fact, excess alcohol consumption has been connected to cataracts and optic neuropathy which is a nerve disorder that may cause permanent vision loss and sometimes blindness if left untreated.

Moreover, repeated incidents of heavy drinking can lead to very serious eye conditions. As heavy alcohol consumption plays havoc on the liver and astonishingly, the eyes and liver are closely related. In fact, liver blood deficiencies are linked to blurry vision, floaters in the eyes, Myopia, color blindness and dry eyes.

Diet

When it comes to the eyes, your diet is of upmost importance. According to WebMD, diet and lifestyle can affect eye health. In fact, recent studies suggest that your diet and lifestyle can affect the chances of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This progressive eye condition affects about 15 million Americans and millions more worldwide. It is a devastating disease that attacks the macula of the eye. This is the vision that helps us read, drive and perform daily tasks.

Eating healthy and maintaining your weight is a great preventative against AMD. Also, studies shows that people who consumed antioxidants (found in fruits and vegetables), had high rates of beta-carotene and vitamin C and/or ate fish more than twice per week reduced their risk of getting AMD.

Be Screen Savvy

Hours spent behind a TV, computer, tablet and even a smart phone can cause digital eye strain or computer vision syndrome. And roughly half of those who spend many hours behind a screen experience “tired eyes” blurred vision, difficulty focusing and frequent headaches. Although the solutions to computer vision syndrome can vary, the condition can generally be relieved by making changes in how you view the screen and scheduling regular eye care with a specialist. However, this condition may worsen to the point where you could need LASIK surgery done by a professional, such as those from Cornea Consultants of Nashville.

If you already wear glasses, you may find that your current prescription may not provide the best vision for viewing a computer. If you do not require glasses for daily use, it may be beneficial to get prescribed glasses designed for computer use. The best way to protect your eyes from various devices is to get an anti-glare screen cover. As well, specialists agree that you should take a 10 minute rest away from the device every sixty minutes.