What You Can Do To Prevent Cataracts

Cataracts
Cataracts

Cataracts are a fairly common eye issue that can cause blindness in many cases, especially in older individuals who are genetically predisposed to it. That said, there are several ways to prevent cataracts before they start. The growth of cataracts can also be slowed by altering your lifestyle to include the following changes.

Don’t Smoke

For years, the public has been aware of the dangers of smoking, and these dangers carry on to your eye health. This unhealthy habit creates toxins that counteract the positive benefits of eating foods that contain antioxidants. These toxins can cause cataracts. Smoking has been shown to contribute significantly to a decrease in the health of your eyes. If you are a smoker, do yourself and your loved ones a favor, and kick the habit. If you have trouble quitting, talk to a medical professional to go over some solutions that can help you stop smoking. Cataract surgeons can offer you a great deal of advice, so visit here to see what cataract surgeons say about how to prevent cataracts.

Eat Wisely

It’s no secret that a healthy diet is beneficial to your physical and mental well-being, but more specifically, a healthy diet is necessary for the health of your eyes. For instance, lutein is well-known for getting and keeping your eyes in good condition. Both eggs, as well as leafy, green vegetables, contain lutein.

Antioxidants

As mentioned earlier, antioxidants are a powerful tool that can help keep cataracts at bay. If you have already been diagnosed with cataracts, eating antioxidant-rich foods can help slow down their growth. Vitamin C and Vitamin E are examples of antioxidants that can do wonders for your overall health. Fresh fruits, vegetables, almonds, sunflower oil, and wheat germ all contain these vitamins.

Omega-3 Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids have also been shown to improve the health of your eyes, especially in women. These beneficial oils can be found within certain types of fish as well as flaxseed.

Manage Your Blood Sugar

If you already have issues with your blood sugar, it is essential to get this issue under control. Not only is diabetes a serious disease when not treated appropriately, but blood sugar problems can aggravate your eye health. High blood sugar can cause the lens of your eye to swell, which causes problems with vision, and from there, cataracts can appear.

Go See Your Eye Doctor Regularly

This may seem obvious, but visiting your eye doctor on a regular basis is the number one way to manage your eye health, including when it comes to the growth of cataracts. Depending on your current vision, adults should visit an eye doctor every two to four years. Adults over the age of 65 should make themselves an appointment every one to two years depending on health history and existing vision problems. Your eye exams should include the dilation of your eyes so that the doctor will easily be able to spot any issues. Being proactive about medical care for your eyes is absolutely key to preventing or slowing the growth of cataracts as well as other diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration.

eyes health
eyes health

Make Wearing Sunglasses a Habit

Most people know that the ultraviolet rays of the sun are damaging to your skin, but did you know that these UV rays can also hurt your eyes? According to research, the light from the sun can damage your lens by changing the proteins in your eye, so make a habit of putting on sunglasses that block out 100 percent of UV rays. Choose glasses that fit well so that you can see through easily and comfortably.

Reduce Heavy Alcohol Consumption

Frequent alcohol use is well-known for being harmful to your overall health, but it can also contribute to poor eye health, specifically age-induced cataracts. Current recommendations are to keep alcohol use at fewer than two drinks per day.

All of this said the grapes in wine are high in antioxidants, and research has shown that drinking one-to-two glasses of wine can help prevent the growth of cataracts. This likely has less to do with the alcohol and more to do with the nutritional benefits of grapes.

Making good lifestyle choices can do wonders for preventing any issues having to do with your eye health. Your vision is precious, so it is essential to do everything you can to preserve it for a lifetime.

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I'm NOT a doctor! I'm just passionate about health and healthy leaving. The information on this website, such as graphics, images, text and all other materials, is provided for reference and educational purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professional. The content is not intended to be complete or exhaustive or to apply to any specific individual's medical condition.