By practicing certain habits, you can preserve much of your eye health even as you get older. Wearing sunglasses year-round throughout your life is a good place to start, says our eye care professional at Cascade Eyecare in Bend, OR. Your shades should block at least 99 percent to 100 percent of harmful UVA and UVB light rays.

Let Our Optometrist Examine Your Eyes

Annual comprehensive eye exams from an eye care professional is another important routine to establish. This checkup in which your eyes are dilated can reveal eye diseases and abnormalities early when treatment has the best chance of success. Try to have this evaluation by the time you are 40 years old to establish a baseline.

To keep your aging eyes as healthy as possible, we recommend you refrain from smoking. Long-term smoking has been linked to cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and, in people with diabetes, diabetic retinopathy. If you have diabetes, do everything you can to keep your condition under control.

Nutrition Is Important to Healthy Eyes

Diet plays a role in the health of your eyes. Lutein and zeaxanthin are antioxidants that reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. They are found in green, leafy vegetables as well as in eggs and other foods.

Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in cold-water fish such as sardines, herring, salmon, and tuna benefit vision. They protect against dry eyes and macular degeneration. The vitamin E found in fortified cereals, nuts, sweet potatoes, and other foods protects the eyes from molecules that can weaken healthy tissues.

Eye Health Professionals in Bend, OR

Getting older is no reason to expect poor vision. The path to having the best vision as you grow older begins when you are younger and when you take control of your eye health with regular visits with an eye health professional. For more information on the effects of aging on eye health or to schedule an appointment with our optometrist, call Cascade Eyecare today at (541) 382-2020.