Are You Making Smart Lifestyle Choices for Eye Health?

The diet and lifestyle choices that you make every day have a big impact on the health of your eyes. Some support good vision, but others increase the risk of damage or developing diseases. To optimize your eye health at any age, make these four habits a priority.

Don’t Smoke
Smoking introduces a flood of chemicals into your body with every puff. These chemicals can cause extensive damage to your cells, leading to inflammation that contributes to a variety of diseases. Smoking is linked to a greater risk of developing cataracts or going blind as you get older, and the overall risk for other eye diseases is higher in smokers. Part of the reason for this may be that inflammation in the small blood vessels of your eyes makes it more difficult for essential nutrients to get to the sensitive tissues.

Move More
In addition to keeping your cardiovascular system healthy and improving muscle tone, exercise can also reduce your chances of developing age-related macular degeneration. A study done at the University of Wisconsin showed that this disease was shown to be 70 percent less likely in those who exercised compared to their sedentary peers. Exercise also makes it easier to maintain a healthy weight and reduces your chances of developing eye diseases related to conditions such as diabetes.

Eat a Colorful Diet
Researchers from the Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health discovered that people who ate fewer fruits and vegetables had higher levels of markers indicating inflammation and cardiovascular disease risk than those with healthier diets. By measuring C-reactive protein and homocysteine, the researchers were able to determine that good dietary habits equated with favorable levels of these two factors, both of which can have an effect on eye health. The abundance of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables are likely the reason why those who include a variety of colorful foods in their diets enjoy better vision as they age.

Practice Good Hygiene
Dirty hands, contact lenses and makeup brushes can all introduce unwanted bacteria into your eyes. Washing your hands more often helps to reduce the risk of this kind of contamination, but you also need to be mindful of everything else that comes in close contact with your face. Simply rubbing your eyes can introduce bacteria, and it can worsen allergy symptoms by perpetuating the reactive cycle.

For women, makeup itself may also be to blame for some eye problems. If you have an eye infection, bacteria can get into the makeup and re-infect your eyes with each application. Your best bet is to replace all eye makeup after the infection has been treated.

Maintaining healthy vision throughout your life can really be as simple as adopting smart habits and sticking with them. Although some age-related changes may still occur, you’ll be much less likely to suffer from serious degeneration or disease. Take control of your eye health with a diet and lifestyle plan that protects your vision.

Want to learn more about best practices for Eye Health?

CorrectVision Laser Institute is one of Florida’s most advanced vision correction practices with extensive experience in LASIK. Our goal is to open your eyes to the world of great vision by offering unparalleled expertise and the most advanced technology available. Contact us today for a consultation with one of our South Florida eye specialists, located in Hollywood, Weston and Pembroke Pines!