Take care of your vision by getting a comprehensive eye examAs you age, your eyes become more prone to developing serious eye conditions such as cataract (clouding of the natural lens that leads to blurred vision), age-related macular degeneration (loss of central vision) and glaucoma (vision loss due to abnormally high eye pressure). Protecting your vision can help you maintain a good quality of life.

As we celebrate Healthy Vision Month this May, here are seven ways to take care of your vision:

Know your family eye history. Some eye conditions, such as cataracts, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration, can be genetic. Telling your eye doctor about your family eye history will prompt them to check for signs of that condition and can also determine how often you need to undergo a comprehensive eye exam.

Eat right. Having a wellbalanced diet and eating nutritious food can help maintain healthy vision. Leafy greens, citrus fruits and nuts are good sources of lutein, antioxidants, zeaxanthin and vitamins C and E. These can protect against the risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Salmon and tuna are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can help treat dry eyes.

Go for UV-protected eyewear. Too much exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays increases your risk of developing potentially blinding eye conditions. Wearing UV-protected eyewear can protect your eyes. Talk to your eye doctor or purchase from a legitimate optical shop to make sure it has 100% UV protection.

Avoid eye strain. Your eyes can feel blurry, itchy, irritated or inflamed when you work on the computer, phone or tablet or do any near work like sewing or reading for a long time; you may also experience excessive tearing. When you start to feel these symptoms, relax your eyes by doing the 20-20-20 rule: look away from your gadget every 20 minutes, look at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Using eye lubricants is also helpful.

Quit smoking. Smoking increases free radicals in and reduces the circulation and flow of oxygen and nutrients to the eyes. This doubles or even triples the risk of getting eye conditions like cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.

Use eye protection. Playing sports or doing home repairs or cleaning? Avoid eye irritation and injuries from pollen, dust or debris by wearing eye protection or safety glasses.

Get a comprehensive eye exam. Most serious eye problems do not have early warning signs. See your ophthalmologist every year if you are over 40 years old, are wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses, or have a family history of any eye disease or lifestyle conditions like hypertension and diabetes.

Asian Eye Institute offers comprehensive eye exams to detect eye problems early and recommend proper treatment. Can’t go out for a checkup? Avail of their teleconsultation service for only P300! Hurry, promo runs from May 1-31, 2021!

To learn more about Asian Eye’s products and services, visit www.asianeyeinstitute.com. (Story/Photos by: Charizze Henson)