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By Trudie Mitschang
From what you eat to what you wear, you can take a proactive ap-proach to protecting your precious sense of sight now and potentially preserving your vision for years to come.
While heredity is a strong indicator of future eye health (if siblings develop glau-coma, you have a much higher chance of getting it too), experts say lifestyle plays an increasingly significant role in maintaining healthy vision.
Get an Eyeful
Antioxidants have been touted as free radical-fighting road warriors and are even becoming a staple in skin-care products. But did you know they also help protect your vision?
According to Dr. Gregg Feinerman, a board-certified cataract and LASIK surgeon in Newport Beach, studies and clinical trials link certain supplements to eye health, especially the antioxidant powerhouses: A, C, and E. These vitamins can be found in many fruits and vegetables, including oranges, kiwis, dried apricots, all the leafy greens, tomatoes, peppers, and carrots.
“High levels of antioxidants and zinc have been shown to significantly reduce the risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration by about 25 percent,” Feinerman says. “While not a cure, these nutrients may play a key role in helping people at high risk for developing advanced AMD keep their vision.”
The macula, in the center of the retina, allows our eyes to focus on fine details, such as when we read or view photographs. Feinerman points out two specific types of antioxidants said to protect this all-important eye component: lutein (loo-teen) and zeaxanthin (zay-a-za-thin). Both are members of the carotenoid family, a group
of natural plant pigments that also includes beta-carotene and lycopene. They are unique in that they are the only carotenoids found in high concentration in the macula of the eye.
Feinerman says it is believed that lutein and zeaxanthin protect the macula by scavenging potentially damaging free radicals and absorbing certain high-energy light.
To get more of these vision-supporting antioxidants in your system, he recommends a diet rich in spinach, kale, mango, and bilberries for lutein and peppers, corn, oranges, and eggs for zeaxanthin. As for supplements, Feinerman says a balanced diet full of fresh produce is obviously optimal, but high-quality nutritional supplements can offer benefits as well.
A Glaring Mistake
While many of us slather on sunscreen to protect our skin from UV damage, we might be less religious when it comes to donning sunglasses each time we head outdoors. The fact is that the same harmful rays that lead
to premature aging and skin cancer can also increase your risk of developing eye problems later in life.
“Wearing sunglasses is one of the easiest and most effective ways to protect eyes on a daily basis,” Feinerman says. “Sunglasses should be dark enough to reduce glare, with lenses that offer 99 to 100 percent UV protection. Since many people choose sunglasses for fashion rather than function, it’s also a good idea to ask an eye-care professional to test your sunglasses if you’re unsure of their protection level.”
People who spend long hours on the beach or in the snow without adequate eye protection can develop a condition called photokeratitis, a painful — though reversible — sunburn of the cornea. The damage occurs when sunlight reflects off of snow, sand, and water, magnifying the ultraviolet radiation.
Cataracts, which appear in different degrees as we age, have also been linked to UVB exposure. According to the World Health Organization, up to 20 percent of cataracts may be caused by overexposure to UV radiation, meaning they are easily avoidable.
Just as sunscreen should be worn year-round, a quality pair of sunglasses is essential to shield glare even on overcast days; clouds provide shade, not UV protection.
Visual Aids
The Internet is full of do-it-yourself vision-improvement plans and eye exercises said to eliminate or reduce the need for glasses and contacts.
Feinerman says there’s no clear proof that eye exercises can improve nearsightedness or farsightedness. But, he says, taking a brisk walk around the block could benefit your eyes as well as your waistline.
“Along with all of its other benefits, reg-ular aerobic exercise has been shown to improve eye circulation,” he says. “Scientific evidence increasingly shows that aerobic exercise, with its accompanying boost in heart rate and blood circulation, helps nourish important internal-eye structures, such as the optic nerve, which is crucial for transmitting images from the eye to the brain.”
Several studies indicate that aerobic exercise can help lower internal-eye pressure in individuals who have certain forms of glaucoma. Some studies also suggest that aerobic exercise can help prevent the progression of diabetes, which in more severe cases can result in diabetic retinopathy, an eye disease that can cause decreased vision and blindness.
See It Through
Headaches, blurry vision, and difficulty focusing or reading would drive most of us to see an eye doctor. But what if our eye-sight seems fine? When should we start making eye exams part of our annual routine? The frequency of recommended eye-doctor visits is largely determined by age and heredity.
“Many people don’t have their eyes checked until they develop a problem,” Feinerman says. “It’s a good idea to have your vision checked every five years in your 20s and 30s. By the time you reach your 40s, you should see an ophthalmologist every two years, and those over the age of 50 should schedule annual exams. Anyone with a family history of eye problems should obviously seek care more frequently.”
Monitor Computer Time
*Choose a monitor that tilts or swivels and has contrast and brightness controls.
*Arrange workstations and lighting to avoid reflected glare.
*Set the computer monitor for dark characters on a light background; they are less affected by reflections than light characters on a dark background.
*Schedule periodic rest breaks to avoid eye fatigue.
* Consult your ophthalmologist; some people who normally do not need glasses may need corrective lenses for computer work. |
