How Healthy Behaviors Impact Eye Health

Living a healthy lifestyle can benefit you in many ways, including lengthening your life span. Age can take a toll on the body, especially the eyes. While age is the most common cause of cataract formation, it turns out your lifestyle behaviors play a large part as well. Learn how healthy behaviors impact your eye’s health, as well as how bad behaviors damage it. 

Diet

The saying, “you are what you eat”, takes on a whole new meaning when you enter your older years. This is why it’s important to monitor your food intake to keep your body healthy. As for your eyes, eating foods with certain nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zinc, and vitamins C and E can help maintain eye health and vision. These foods can include leafy greens, carrots, eggs, nuts, and salmon. Eating a proper and nutrient packed diet can help control weight gain, preventing the development of diabetes. Diabetes is known to affect the quality of your vision, so eating clean can make all the difference for your eyes. 

Exercise

Staying physically active can help reduce the risks of many complications such as eye disease, glaucoma, and high blood pressure. Exercises such as walking, cycling, swimming, and aerobic options are great for keeping your vision strong and can delay the need for glasses. Keeping yourself active and accountable for your overall health is always recommended, but the health of your eyes will depend heavily on how you treat your body.

What to Avoid

Certain foods and dietary habits can have a negative impact on eye health. Diets high in sugar, especially refined sugars, can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Diabetes can lead to diabetic retinopathy, a condition that affects the blood vessels in the retina and can result in vision loss. Processed foods often contain unhealthy fats, excessive salt, and low nutritional value. A diet rich in processed foods may contribute to conditions like obesity and high blood pressure, which can in turn affect eye health. Smoking can also negatively impact your eye’s health, damaging the blood vessels throughout the body, including those in the eyes. This can lead to reduced blood flow to the eyes, increasing the risk of various eye conditions and impairing the eyes’ ability to function optimally.

Your eye’s are incredibly vital in your everyday life, so treat them and your body with respect by eating well and staying active. In any case you require surgery due to these complications, make sure to use protective eye shields to ensure a smooth recovery. Eye protection is a priority of ours to help patients protect their improved vision. To learn more about protective eye-gear, contact us today or visit our website!