August 14, 2024

Back to school time is a good time to remind us of the importance of Eye Health. The most important thing to do is to get a thorough eye exam by an Optometrist. This should be done yearly for all ages.

Our eyes are the doorway to enjoying life to the fullest.

It’s good to know how your eye functions. Parts of the eye: Let’s start at the beginning:

Light passes through the clear front of the eye, into the Cornea, the outer layer of the eye. The light bends to help the eye focus. Some of the light enters through the opening called the Pupil. The colored part of the eye (Iris) controls how much light gets through to the lens. The Lens is a clean inner part of the eye. It works with the cornea to focus light on the retina.

The Retina is the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. It turns the light into electrical signals. These signals travel through the Optic Nerve to the brain. The Brain turns these signals into images we see. All in a “blink of an eye!”

Your eye lashes are important to your eye’s health. They filter dust and tears to help keep the eye clean.

Did you know that your eyebrows are important too? They channel unwanted moisture, sweat and rain, away from you eyes. (Sort of like a brow of your cap.)

Maintaining good vision is a key to a healthy lifestyle. Eyesight is vital to nearly everything we do. We all want healthy eyes throughout our life.

How to help our children’s growing eyes:

It is important for our children’s eye health to start with a healthy diet. They should also get in the habit of drinking plenty of water. Hydration is a key to good vision.

Start eye health with healthy foods. Eat eggs, greens, red berries, and orange-colored fruits and vegetables. Nuts, sweet potatoes, and whole grains are also beneficial. Try avocados, salmon, walnuts, poultry, seafood, milk, and other dairy products.

Prepare healthy snacks that are grab and go: yogurt, cheese sticks, cut-up veggies. (I have found that peppers, celery and radishes stay fresh if stored in a glass jar. I wash and dry thoroughly and store with a tight lid. It is important to keep moisture out. When serving, allow jar to dry before recapping.)

Omega 3 is very important for eye health: Almonds, walnuts, pistachios can help preserve a child’s vision. (As an older adult I have found adding 4 Omega 3, as prescribed by my Opthamologist, works great when added at bedtime. It has made a huge difference for me as to dry eyes.)

Avoid refined sugars and added sugars. Avoid snack bars and sugary drinks. Learn to read labels of snack bars as many of a lot of added sugars. Encourage water drinking by adding fruits, and even cucumbers for flavor and attraction.

Wear eye protection. Good UV-blocking sun glasses are important at all ages. Do not stare at the sun, as sun rays can permanently burn and harm your retina. Learn to do activities that give your eyes a rest. Get away from computer screens, and even TV screens as much as possible. Take a walk.

Eye rubbing can be a sign of allergies. Rubbing your eye can scratch your cornea. Rubbing can also transfer bacteria from your hands into your eyes, causing an infection. Take an allergy tablet or an antihistamine if the irritation is about allergies. Consult with your doctor.

As we get older, the volume of tear secretion and tear quality decreases. Women are more likely to suffer from dry eyes than men.

The volume of tear evaporation increases in dry winter months. Air conditioning or direct contact with air blowing from a fan or AC can aggravate dry eye symptoms.

If you spend a lot of time looking at a computer screen, the frequency of blinking decreases. This can create dry eyes. Look into “computer screen glasses.”

Medication can also affect your eye. Be careful of eye drops with preservatives.

What can help your eye?

We are aware that Carotenoids are helpful for our eyes. We get them in a healthy diet. But sometimes it can be hard to eat the Daily Recommended Amounts of fruits and vegetables. It can become even harder to increase these amounts when our eyes bother us. This is where the supplement comes in.

If your diet isn’t rich in daily tomatoes, orange fruits and vegetables, you are missing out on key nutrients. You also need leafy green vegetables in your diet. These key nutrients increase the density of the macular pigment, an area critical to visual acuity. It also helps filter harmful UV light. And supports overall eye health. If you cannot eat enough, then look into supplementing.

What can I do for my children’s eye health?

Limit screen time each day and have your child take frequent breaks to protect their vision. Watch the amount of screen time with game-playing. Taking breaks also helps with other near-vision activities like reading, writing, or drawing. Get enough sleep: Our bodies and eyes heal when we sleep.

Remember to have their eyes checked each year. This is important.

Age-related Macular Degeneration: AMD

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a disease that affects a person’s central vision. AMD can result in severe loss of central vision, but people rarely go blind from it. Risk factors for AMD include being 50 and older. Smoking. Having high blood pressure. Eating a diet high in saturated fat.

No one knows exactly what causes dry macular degeneration.  The macula is part of the retina (the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye.). Age-related damage to an important support membrane under the retina is believed to contribute to dry age-related macular degeneration. Research indicates that it may be a combination of family genes and environmental factors. These factors include smoking, obesity, and diet. The condition develops as the eye ages. A diet high in dark leafy greens, orange and yellow peppers, and other vegetables may be beneficial in managing macular degeneration. These foods contain carotenoids, or antioxidants, that keep the macula healthy.

What can I do to supplement my diet to help my eye health?

I can’t eat all that my eyes need Each and Every Day. I recognize that, especially as I’m aging, a supplement can help my eye’s health.

Shaklee’s Carotomax is my favorite. It provides over 13mg of the beneficial carotenoids: lutein, lycopene, beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, and astaxanathin per serving. I have only found all of these in Shaklee’s Carotomax.

What is alpha carotene and beta carotene?

(Alpha-Carotene and Beta-Carotene. Both α-carotene and β-carotene are primarily regarded as precursors of vitamin A. Common orange-, yellow-, and green-colored fruits and vegetables are rich sources of these carotenoids. Examples include carrot, pumpkin, apricot, sweet potato, and beans.)

I have been diagnosed with Dry Eyes. My Opthamologist recommended Shaklee’s Omega 3, and also to include Carotomax. I get both in my daily vitamins. But it is not enough for aging dry eyes. It makes a big difference for my eyes if I add another of Shaklee’s Carotomax. It also helps if I take 4 of Shaklee’s Omega-3 at bedtime. Dry eyes: gone. It truly helped my Dry Eyes.

Good Health always comes back to Good Foods. Our diet is important. Make fast food or convenient meals a treat. Plan ahead with your meals. Double batching makes meals in a rush easy, and you know they are nutritious.

Hereditary genes can play a part in your eye being “unhealthy.” But there are ways we can slow or hopefully prevent bad eye health. Start with good nutrition. And learn to protect your eyes and your vision from day-to-day assaults.

If you want help with meal planning, I’ll be glad to help. If you need to plan more nutrition into a tight food budget, I’m here to assist. Message me.

Category:

Health and Wellness

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