Cataracts, retinal damage, and other severe pathologies such as melanoma or macular degeneration. These are some of the problems that your eyes can suffer. Preventing eye health is essential for good eye care and we do not always give it the attention it deserves.
ONCE warns that many serious vision problems can be avoided simply with adequate prevention. For this reason, eye examinations are necessary to monitor eye health and anticipate possible eye diseases.
Do you know how to improve eye health? It’s easier than it seems! We’ll tell you about some habits you can incorporate into your daily life to prevent your eyes from aging faster.
What is eye health?
Eye health is the absence of diseases of the eyesight and structure of the eyes. It also consists of preserving visual acuity over time. Even so, the progressive loss of a certain degree of sharpness when we see is natural. Just like the skin, joints, or muscles, the eyes also age over time.
However, many of the habits we carry out-accelerate the degeneration of our eyesight and end up deteriorating our eye health. In Spain, the most common eye health pathologies are myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism.
And that’s where optometrists come in! These eye health experts can implement specific treatments to stop eyestrain, sharpen visual acuity, and treat eye diseases.
Tips to improve eye health and prevent diseases
Pediatric and routine check-ups
The best way to maintain optimal eye health and prevent your eyesight from aging too quickly is to go to the ophthalmologist for check-ups. But how regularly ought to you go to the ophthalmologist?
Breastfeeding. During the first few weeks of a newborn’s life, the baby should already have a first check-up with the ophthalmologist. This will check that the eye is developing correctly. Remember that premature babies are at greater risk of developing abnormalities in their eye health!
Childhood. Between the ages of 2 and 5, it is advisable to make another visit to the specialist, especially if the child is developing a vision defect from an early age. Do you know how often you should take children to their pediatric check-ups? Find out according to their age!
Adolescence. From the age of 12, it is recommended that you visit a specialist at least every 2 years if you have any illness. Even so, at these ages, prolonged exposure to screens is inevitable.https://gtoxnow.com/ Therefore, it is not a bad idea to have your child undergo a routine check-up every three years to protect their eye health.
Adulthood. It is advisable to have at least two complete eye examinations before reaching age 40, followed by more routine check-ups.
From the age of 65. At this age, eye health prevention becomes especially important. Make sure you visit a specialist to improve the health of your eyes once a year. Macular degeneration or cataracts are common at this age and prompt intervention in time will prevent you from losing vision.
Glasses and prescription
A good prevention against eye diseases is to wear prescription glasses in some cases. Through check-ups, the optician will be able to determine if you need to correct your vision.
Ophthalmologists usually keep a clinical history of each check-up in order to carry out a long-term analysis. That is why visiting the same clinic or entity is usually a good idea for prevention. Some insurance companies have plans for routine check-ups with doctors in different clinics where they can check your eyesight.
Sunglasses: from what age?
Solar radiation is one of the worst enemies of eye health. That’s why good sunglasses will prevent UV rays from damaging your eyes. Plus, there’s no minimum age to wear them! Whenever you go outside and are going to be exposed to the sun, protect yourself with sunglasses.
However, it is important to get an effective pair. Before buying sunglasses, make sure they have these characteristics:
They have the European CE certificate.
The lenses have a solar filter to reduce the intensity of the light spectrum.
For children and teenagers, they must be approved sunglasses!
Feeding
The diet also plays a vital role in protecting your eyes. Zinc, vitamins A, C, and E, and omega-3 acids can slow down macular degeneration. Make sure to include products such as oily fish, carrots, citrus fruits, eggs, asparagus, walnuts, and oysters in your diet.
Daily eye hygiene
Keeping your eyes hydrated will help you maintain good daily eye hygiene. If your eyes feel tired or dry, artificial tears will help restore your eyes and hydrate them! Also, avoid touching them before washing your hands, as germs can cause infections.
Want to know how to take care of your eyes? Check out these 7 healthy eye habits to protect your vision!
Main eye diseases
The main eye diseases in Spain, and also the most serious, are cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diseases of the cornea and retina. Specifically, macular degeneration is associated with age, with a higher incidence after the age of 60.
Some others, although less common, such as eye cancer, are especially dangerous because of their ability to affect the rest of the body. They can occur in external parts, such as the eyelids, or inside them. The problem with eye cancer is that the cancer cells can reach other parts of the body if they metastasize.
Glaucoma, or silent blindness, is a progressive damage to the optic nerve. It is characterized by vision loss and is generally caused by an increase in the internal pressure of the eye. The cornea is another element of eye health that you should take care of, as it can suffer from diseases such as ulcers, keratitis, or dystrophies.
Habits you should avoid to take care of your eyes
Digital displays
The continued use of screens and mobile phones increases eye aging very quickly. Specifically, the ultraviolet light emitted by these devices causes dry eyes, in which the tear glands keep the eye lubricated.
you don’t place your home TV less than two meters from the sofa. If you usually work in front of a computer, keep a distance of half a meter from the screen and use a protective filter.
Tobacco
Tobacco smoke causes your eyes to lose moisture. Over time, you may feel them becoming irritated and even stinging. Also, remember that it’s not just smokers who suffer from this! If you are a passive smoker, try not to be in contact with smoke for long periods. To counteract the harmful effects on eye health, recommended.
Here are a few tips to help you quit smoking for good.
Air-conditioning
Likewise, air conditioning dries out the corneas, among other problems. Do you know all the consequences it has for our health? You’ll be surprised by the damage caused by prolonged exposure!
Contact lenses
Contact lenses can be a source of infections that lead to eye diseases. As part of healthy eye habits, don’t forget. If you wear makeup, it’s common for some residue to fall in. Store them so they don’t come into contact with the product.
Don’t strain your eyes
One of the most effective eye-healthy habits is to learn to relax your eyes . This way, you’ll avoid straining them and keep eye strain at bay. Try not to keep your eyes on the same object for more than 30 minutes. To do this, remember to change your focus frequently. It will help you release eye strain!
The importance of treatments and prevention
Many of the diseases mentioned above are irreversible, so early detection will be essential to stop their progression. You probably know that depending on the disease, the treatment will be more or less invasive. For example, some serious eye diseases can be treated with glasses and a correct prescription for lenses.
On the other hand, regular check-ups and prevention are essential to keep your eye health in good condition. Having the support of health insurance can be a great help.
When it comes to having any kind of diagnostic test done, having the speed and ease of access that they offer you will always be an important tool for you. For example, tests such as intraocular pressure or tear function tests are usually expensive and infrequent in a conventional check-up. And yet, the best insurance companies include them in their eye health plans!
In addition to being able to undergo diagnostic tests, to maintain a good preventive routine, accessing the necessary subspecialties at the right time will always be of great help, not to mention rapid access to surgical techniques.
Sight is one of the most important senses and the eyes are one of the most fragile organs. Taking care of your eye health is very important for the development of a life with the best possible quality. Go to the ophthalmological medical service that your health insurance provides you with and… take care of your eyes.
At GENERALI we have a wide variety of Health Insurance so that you can choose the coverage that best suits your needs. If you are not sure which option is best for you, contact us without obligation and we will advise you.
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