These guidelines help keep your eyes healthier.
Your eyes are your windows to the world so it’s important to keep them healthy.
You may think your eyes are healthy and your vision is fine but the best way to preserve your vision as you age is to get an annual eye exam. Just as an annual physical exam helps your body stay healthier by identifying medical issues early when they are easier to treat, an annual eye exam can detect issues that affect your vision before you have any symptoms.
Routine eye care can uncover and correct changes in your vision so you see better. A dilated eye exam is also the best way to identify common eye diseases, such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, cataracts and diabetic retinopathy. Early treatment of these conditions helps prevent permanent vision loss and other complications.
“An annual eye exam is very important for maintaining healthy vision. Many eye diseases simply do not have symptoms until they reach advanced stages, and as a result, may go undetected for a long time. A yearly exam allows your eye doctor to diagnose and treat conditions such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy before they cause lasting visual problems.”
Follow this checklist to help keep your eyes healthy as you age:
- Get a dilated eye exam every year. This is especially important if you have diabetes.
- Keep track of vision changes. Tell your eye doctor about any changes in vision or any new issues you may be experiencing.
- Know your family history. Many eye diseases are hereditary so tell your doctor about your family’s medical history.
- Eat right. Includes lots of fruits and vegetables in your diet, especially dark leafy greens.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight increases your risk of diabetes, a leading cause of eye disease.
- Manage your diabetes. If you are diabetic, keep your blood sugar at a healthy level. Uncontrolled diabetes can contribute to poor eye health.
- Don’t smoke. Smoking is as bad for your eyes as the rest of your body.
- Share information. Ask your eye doctor to send your exam results to other doctors you see. At each exam, tell your eye doctor about any changes in your medical history since your last exam.
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Date Last Reviewed: October 19, 2020
Editorial Review: Andrea Cohen, Editorial Director, Baldwin Publishing, Inc. Contact Editor
Medical Review: Perry Pitkow, MD
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