Healthy Vision Month Tips for Boise Seniors
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 93 million adults in the U.S. are at high risk for vision loss. However, only half have visited an eye doctor in the past year.
Boise, ID is full of sights you wouldn't want to miss, from the scenery of the Boise River Greenbelt to the artworks in the Boise Art Museum or unique finds in your favorite downtown boutiques.
Everyone can take action to protect their vision. The National Eye Institute established Healthy Vision Month to raise awareness of eye health and highlight the important role eye care professionals play in your total wellness.
Keep reading for simple eye care tips that can help preserve your vision and quality of life.
Have Regular Eye Exams
One of the most important steps you can take to protect your vision is to have a complete eye exam at least every two years. Your eye care professional may recommend yearly exams depending on your medical history and possible risk factors for eye disease. You can use Eye Health Month as a good reminder to schedule your exam.
The eye exam will include several tests, such as:
- Visual acuity, which measures how well you can read letters that are close and far away
- Visual field, which checks how well you can see objects to the sides of your vision
- Eye muscle function, which tests how well your eyeballs can follow a moving object
- Pupil response test, which checks your pupils' response to light
- Tonometry test, which measures your eye pressure
Your eye doctor will also dilate your eyes by giving you medicated eye drops. This allows the doctor to look inside your eye to check for common eye issues, including:
- Age-related macular degeneration
- Cataracts
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Glaucoma
A dilated eye exam supports your overall Boise wellness. It can help identify other potential health problems related to blood pressure, nerves, or connective tissue, such as:
- Blood, tissue, or skin cancer
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Lupus
- Lyme disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
Regular eye exams can help detect many of these diseases before other symptoms appear. Identifying issues early is especially important for eye disease because the condition is often very advanced by the time symptoms are noticeable.
Eat an Eye-Healthy Diet
Good nutrition is the foundation of good senior vision. Several types of nutrients have proven benefits for ocular health.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants slow the process of cell aging. Vitamins A, C, and E are important antioxidants for supporting your vision.A balanced diet helps ensure you get a variety of antioxidants.
Vitamin A is essential for producing the pigment in the retinas of your eyes. It also helps the photoreceptors in your eyes work better, which maintains your vision in dim conditions.
Vitamin C helps prevent cataracts. It is present in the fluid in front of the lenses of your eyes.
Vitamin E helps prevent essential fatty acids in your eyes from breaking down.
Carotenoids
Carotenoids are compounds that give many fruits and vegetables their colors. The two most important carotenoids for ocular health are lutein and zeaxanthin. Lutein and zeaxanthin play a role in the light-sensitive tissue in your retina.
Flavonoids
Flavonoids are another group of color compounds found in many types of plants. They support the neurons that link the retina to the brain.
Fatty Acids
Fatty acids are the basic components of fat in the food we eat. Omega-3 fatty acids are probably the most familiar. They help maintain the cell membranes in your eyes and reduce inflammation.
Gamma-linolenic acid is an omega-6 fatty acid that reduces inflammation and lowers the risk of eye conditions like cataracts.
Stop Smoking and Limit Alcohol
Smoking, vaping, and drinking alcohol are associated with many eye diseases. Secondhand smoke can also damage your eyes. Resources are available at no cost to help you quit smoking from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol has short-term effects on your eyesight, like blurred or double vision. Over the long term, heavy drinking can cause and worsen eye disease. You can reduce the risk of eye damage by limiting alcohol to no more than one drink a day for women and two for men.
Stay Active
Regular physical exercise can promote senior eye health. Staying active can help you maintain a healthy weight and blood pressure, which lowers your risk of developing some eye conditions.
A study published in Ophthalmology Glaucoma found that participants who spent more of the day standing or walking had 58% lower odds of developing glaucoma than participants who sat most of the day. Participants who engaged in a moderate amount of vigorous activity were 95% less likely to develop glaucoma than people who didn't.
Exercise may help prevent other eye conditions, like age-related macular degeneration (AMD). A study in mice suggests that exercise helps prevent the overgrowth of blood vessels in the eye that happens with AMD.
Wear Sunglasses
Protecting your eyes from the sun is especially important for aging eyesight. Ultraviolet (UV) light can damage parts of your eye, like the cornea and lens.
Look for sunglasses that block 100% of UVA and UVB rays. Sunglasses that provide UV absorption up to 400nm also give you full protection. Lenses should be as large as possible to provide the most coverage.
Wash Your Hands
Germs can enter the body when you touch your face with unwashed hands. Wash your hands frequently to help prevent eye infections.
Clean hands are especially important if you wear contact lenses. Contacts should be disinfected regularly and replaced as needed.
Celebrate Healthy Vision Month All Year
Healthy Vision Month brings a focus on eye health, but you can benefit from these eye care tips year-round. Scheduling regular eye exams, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and protecting your eyes are key habits to develop.
You'll find the support you need on your vision care journey at Overland Court. With both assisted living and memory care, we provide services in Boise tailored to you or your loved one's needs. Our caring and professional staff helps all our residents live with dignity and as much independence as possible.
Schedule a tour of Overland Court today to experience the difference our personalized care can make.