Tips to take Precautions against Eye Diseases

Posted by Armstrong Louis on December 29th, 2017

Today, constant use of technological devices and pollution are putting a strain on the eyes. Various types of eye diseases like progressive myopia, astigmatism, cataract, glaucoma, macular degeneration, vitreous degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy are prevalent in millions of people across the world belonging to different age groups. It is thus becoming increasingly challenging to keep the eye diseases at bay. (Information credit: https://getsavvi.co.za)

A person can be afflicted with such ailments for several different reasons starting from heredity to food habits. Here, some of the major causes behind such ailments are discussed –

1. Heredity: A person can be afflicted with eye diseases like progressive myopia, glaucoma, etc if their predecessors had similar syndrome. In most cases, a person becomes short-sighted at a tender age if their parents have the similar form of myopia.

2. Inordinate exposure to a digital screen: Nowadays, a lot of people spend time on various social networking websites. People working in IT sectors and corporate offices spend nine to ten hours of their day by operating a computer. According to some studies, most South Africans spend at least 7 hours daily by staring at a TV, computer, or a mobile screen. This is one of the main reasons for several eye diseases and premature blindness.

3. Other diseases: Eyes are also affected due to other diseases like high or low blood pressure. Another instance is diabetic retinopathy. A person generally develops diabetic retinopathy if they were diagnosed with diabetes mellitus beforehand. Also, hypertension can cause some types of serious eye diseases.

To prevent your eyes from becoming a prey to these diseases, it is of utmost importance to take proper care of your eyes. Below, you would find a few tips that can effectively protect your eyes from certain ailments –

1. Controlling the exposure to digital screens: In today’s world, it is nearly impossible to completely shun every electronic gadget like mobiles, laptops, tabs, etc. So, there is no other way to control exposure except for reducing the time spent in front of these gadgets. To soothe your eyes you can follow these suggestions— adjusting the brightness and contrast of your digital screen, maintaining a certain distance between you and the screen, etc. Also, splashing water on your eyes frequently helps to avoid these complications.

2. Following a healthy diet chart: A diet consisting of food items with antioxidants and eye vitamins (especially vitamin A) can help to keep diseases like cataract, xerophthalmia, macular degeneration, glaucoma, and other diseases at bay. Also, eating healthy food reduces the risk of diabetes that can eventually cause diabetic retinopathy.

3. Changing habits: Getting rid of bad habits like smoking (causes macular degeneration), and embracing good habits like walking, exercising, etc can help you to prevent these ailments. There are specific vision exercises which have proven to be extremely helpful.

Besides these preventive measures, occasional visits to your optometrist for a routine check-up can keep such diseases at bay.