January is Glaucoma Awareness Month and it is a perfect time to consider vision problems and how they can affect your life. Glaucoma affects your optic nerve and can lead to blindness if not treated early enough. Here are some tips to help prevent glaucoma:
Annual Eye Exams
Vision problems are more easily detected when you have annual eye exams. Your eye doctor will check for changes to your vision as well as provide a screening for glaucoma risks. Keep in mind that age will affect how often you should see your eye doctor. The easiest rule of thumb to follow is to arrange annual checkups.
Healthy Diet
By now it is obvious to most people that a healthy diet is a must for preventing disease and lowering the risk for many health conditions. One of these conditions is glaucoma. A diet rich in lutein and vitamins won’t necessarily prevent glaucoma but it will promote overall health. Lutein is an antioxidant that will help prevent damage to your cells due to free radicals. As well a diet with less sugar can also help reduce eye pressure. Recommended foods for eye health include:
• Dark coloured berries such as blueberries, cranberries and blackberries
• Dark green veggies such as kale, spinach and broccoli
• Egg yolks
Avoid Trans Fats
Trans fats are believed to contribute to macular degeneration as well as stop Omega-3’s from being retained in the body. Avoiding trans fats means cutting out processed foods and cutting down drastically on your fast food intake.
Exercise
Healthy diet and regular diet go hand in hand to lowering the risk for a number of health issues. Issues with insulin and blood pressure can contribute to the risk for eye pressure. By maintaining regular activity and eating a healthier diet low in sugar you are reducing your risk of conditions that can increase eye pressure.
Omega 3 Supplements
In hand with your healthy diet consider adding an Omega 3 supplement. There are different types of Omega 3 fatty acids and for eye health it is the DHA Omega 3 you want to take. DHA is found in the retina of the eye and by taking an Omega 3 supplement you can add to your eye health and help prevent diseases that can lead to blindness.
Preventing glaucoma is possible by adapting some healthier lifestyle choices and having regular eye exams.