80% of All Visual Impairment is Preventable: How to Make Sure It Doesn’t Happen to You

According to a collection of studies funded by the World Health Organization, we now know that 80 percent of all visual impairment can be cured or prevented entirely. Even though restorative treatments are more effective than ever, you should still be doing everything in your power to keep your eyes healthy and strong. Here are a few steps that you can take to boost your vision and prevent common visual impairments.

Stick to a Healthy Diet

A healthy diet is your first line of defense against most medical problems, and that includes visual impairments. Your diet must be filled with vitamins and minerals that strengthen your eyes and all of the nearby soft tissue. Some of the most important nutrients for eye health include omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, vitamin E, vitamin C, and zinc. You also need to avoid saturated fat, processed sweeteners, and other ingredients that damage your heart and arteries.

Wear Sunglasses & Hats

Direct sunlight is vital to your overall health, but you can have too much of a good thing. Spending hours out in the sun without sunglasses or a hat will put an incredible amount of strain on your eyes. When choosing sunglasses, you should look for lenses that block at least 98 percent of all UV-A and UV-B rays. Ongoing exposure to those ultraviolet rays increases your risk of macular degeneration and other visual disorders.

Give Your Eyes a Break

The average person spends hours looking at a screen every single day, and that constant stimulation is very bad for the eyes. At least once an hour, you should step away from all screens and give your eyes a break. During those breaks, you might want to focus on objects off in the distance or close your eyes completely. If staring at screens is giving you a headache, then you should speak with an optometrist about specialized computer glasses.

Schedule Annual Checkups

Most optometrists and ophthalmologists agree that healthy teens and adults should have their eyes checked at least once a year. During your annual exams, the eye doctor will test your vision and check for any early warning signs of serious health problems. They are also going to update your prescription so that your contact lenses and glasses are as accurate as possible. Skipping these eye exams will increase your risk of permanent eye damage and long-term vision problems.

In addition to these few precautions, you must also seek out immediate medical attention if you notice any sudden changes to your vision. Some of the worst visual impairments can be completely cured as long as you catch them in their earliest stages.

Leave a Comment

Scroll to Top