Save Your Vision Month

March is Save Your Vision Month. That topic definitely falls into our wheelhouse! While some of the things that can damage one’s eyes are unavoidable, such as genetics, others can be avoided. It’s important to take care of your eyes, and do everything you can to preserve them. After all, you only get one pair! Read on as a local Redding CA eye doctor offers some tips on saving your vision. 

How Common Is Vision Loss?

Vision loss is fairly widespread. According to the CDC, about 12 million Americans that are over the age of 40 have vision impairment, and about one million are blind. That number is only going up: it’s expected to double by 2050. 

Let’s take a closer look at some of these numbers:

• 93 Billion American adults are at risk for serious vision problems. Unfortunately, less than half visited their eye doctor in the last year.
• Visual impairments are one of the top 10 disabilities in the U.S.
• About 4.2 million American adults have vision problems that cannot be corrected through visionwear, surgery, or other methods.
• About 6.8 percent of American children have known eye problems.
• Almost 3 percent of American children are blind or seriously vision-impaired.
• The odds of developing eye issues increases over time. It’s important to pay close attention to your vision as you age.

Ask your optometrist for more information. 

What can cause you to lose your eyesight?

People can lose their vision for many reasons. Some are due to genetic factors, or issues that are present at birth. Other problems develop over time.

Here are some of the most common conditions that can result in vision loss:

Cataracts: Cataracts are caused by a buildup of proteins, which cause that clouding of the eyes.

Glaucoma: The leading cause of blindness, glaucoma is a term for a group of diseases that are related to pressure inside the eye and damage to the optic nerve.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD): As the name suggests, this condition is most often seen in seniors. It causes a loss of central vision.

Diabetic Retinopathy: This condition is associated with damage to the retina, and can lead to partial or complete vision loss.

Retinal detachment: Detached retinas often happen as a result of injuries. With this type of injury, the retina is pulled apart from the eye. This results in vision loss.

Other possible causes of vision loss include optic neuritis, stroke, eye infections, bacterial infections, tumors, and brain injuries.

How Can I Save My Vision?

When it comes to protecting your eyes, an ounce of prevention may very well be worth a pound of cure. There is unfortunately no completely foolproof way to protect your vision, but there are definitely some steps you can take:

Visit Your Eye Doctor Regularly For Exams

One of the most important things you can do to preserve your vision? Visit us! Unfortunately, it’s much too common for people to dismiss mild signs of eye trouble, such as blurred vision, until it gets quite bad. Unfortunately, in some cases, there may already be permanent damage.

Many eye diseases have few or no symptoms at first. Eye exams sometimes reveal developing issues before they have become noticeable. That is crucial, because early detection can make a huge difference. Ask your optometrist how often you should have a full eye exam, including a dilated eye exam, and follow their recommendations.

Don’t Ignore Symptoms

It’s normal for people’s eyesight to decline a bit as they age. However, if you notice any sudden changes to your vision, you’ll want to reach out to your vision care center right away.

Here are some examples of things that would warrant an immediate call to your optometrist:

• Itching Or Burning
• Cloudy Vision
• Excess Discharge Or Tearing
• Eye Pain
• Floaters 
• Bump On The Eyelid
• Halos 
• Hazy Vision
• Blurred Vision
• Inability To Close An Eyelid
• Peripheral Vision Loss
• Redness Around The Eye
• Spots 
• Sudden Loss Of Vision
• Difficulty Adjusting To Dark 
• Change In Eye Color
• Crossed Eyes
• Dark Spots In Vision
• Wavy lines
• Unusual Sensitivity To Light Or Glare

Make an appointment at your eye care clinic right away if you notice any of these issues.

Stay Active

Getting proper exercise is beneficial for your body, mind, and soul. It’s also great for your eyes! It can reduce your risk of developing health conditions that threaten your eyesight, such as diabetes and high-blood pressure. It’s also great for your circulation. The current CDC requirement is for the average adult to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every week.

Find Out Your Family History

Many eye diseases, such as glaucoma, run in families. If you aren’t sure if any specific eye issues tend to crop up a lot in your family tree, this is a great time to start asking questions.

Eat Healthy Foods

Your diet affects  nearly every aspect of your overall health and wellness. It probably isn’t going to be a huge surprise to find that many of the foods that are great for your eyes are often listed as generally healthy options. As a rule of thumb, try to eat the rainbow as much as possible. Fill your plate with brightly-colored fruits and veggies, such as oranges, avocados, carrots, berries, spinach, and kale. These are often high in vitamins A, C, and E, which are great for your eyes. It’s also good to include some healthy fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids, which can be found in many fatty fish, like salmon.

Limit Screen Time

These days, many of us are spending long chunks of our days staring at computer screens. The glare and blue light aren’t exactly great for your eyes. Make a habit of following the 20/20/20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This gives your eyes a chance to reset. It’s also important to follow best practices for ergonomics, and to make sure that your workstation has a proper light source, one that isn’t too bright or too dim. 

Ask your eye doctor for tips. 

Wear Sunglasses

Last but certainly not least, don’t underestimate the importance of protecting your eyes from damaging UV rays. Get into the habit of donning sunglasses anytime you go outside. Driving counts, too! When shopping for sunglasses, you want to opt for a pair that provide at least 99 percent UVA/UVB protection. 

Follow Proper Contact Protocols

Do you wear contacts? Be diligent about properly cleaning and storing your lenses. Also, take care never to wear them beyond the recommended amount of time. Ask your Shasta Lake, CA optometrist for specific advice. 

Wear Safety Gear

It only takes a split second for injuries to occur. No matter how careful you are, there’s always a chance of injury. Always wear safety goggles when you are working with chemicals, dust, or other potential irritants. As the saying goes, better safe than sorry! 

Make An Appointment At Our Redding CA Eye Care Center 

Are you in need of contacts, or perhaps transitional lenses? Are you looking for a great vision-care center in the Shasta Lake, CA area? Please do not hesitate to contact me here at your Redding CA  eye care center.