Five Tips for Protecting Your Eyes and Vision

Losing your eyesight isn't just something only old people need to worry about. Our eyesight is probably the most valuable of our senses. Do you think you can go the rest of your life without seeing a sunrise or a baby's smile? It then should come as no surprise that most of us are more fearful of losing our eyesight than any of the other senses.

For nearly everyone on this planet, the lifestyle choices they make today directly affect their vision later on in life. All it takes is just a few minor and easy changes in your daily routine. Stop and take the time to begin a few healthy habits. You'll quickly begin lowering your risk of harmful eye conditions like cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Here are five ways for you to to protect your eyesight for the future and keep your eyes healthy as you age:

• Protect your eyes - Did you know that by wearing sunglasses you can reduce your eyes exposure to eye-damaging ultraviolet? These are harmful rays are what causes the development of cataracts and the gradual deterioration of light sensitive cells in the macula, ultimately leading to the loss of vision. Try to buy sunglasses that come with 99 to 100 percent UV protection. Stick to yellow or amber lenses as well since they work best at filtering out harmful blue light.
• Lose the cigarettes - Recently, eye doctors discovered that people who smoke are up to four times more likely to develop vision problems than nonsmokers. They are also twice as likely to develop cataracts later on in life.
• Eat your fruits and vegetables - Vision experts found that lutein and zeaxanthin found in fruits and vegetables, like spinach and orange bell peppers, reduce the risk of eye problems by more than a third. These antioxidants work by absorbing those harmful UV rays in your eyes as well as improve their overall health in maintaining optimal eye function.
• Watch your weight - Being obese or overweight causes hypertension, high cholesterol, and inflammation. All three of these problems slows down the flow of blood to your eyes increasing the risk cataract development.
• Take out the contacts - One of the worst things you can do to your eyes is to sleep in contacts or keep them in from weeks at a time without removing them. Even the continued use of daily contacts for longer than they were intended can cause harm to your eyes. The reason is that things like dirt and bacteria are trapped between the contact and your eye, causing irritation and even infection. It's ok to sleep in your contacts if they were designed for that and under a doctor's recommendation but otherwise no. The eyes require both oxygen and rest and they get neither when you sleep in them.

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