FISH OIL AND/OR LINSEED OIL CAPSULES Many large studies have shown that people who get the most good omega-3 fatty acids in their diets have the lowest risk of dry eyes. Many eye doctors recommended 1,000mg of flaxseed oil a day, but fish-oil capsules are a more potent source of these good fats. Experts suggest getting 2-3g of omega-3s from fish-oil capsules daily. (Check the label to see how many capsules you'll have to take; it varies by brand).
BLINKING If you spend hours watching TV, surfing the web or working at a computer. You may not be blinking enough. Studies show that while people normally blink 12 times a minute, your 'blink rate' may drop to two or three times in 3 minutes while you're watching a screen. Simply positioning your screen just below eye level could help to minimise moisture loss, because you'll close your eyes a little bit to look down. But also make a conscious effort to blink more.
A HUMIDIFIER Air-conditioning and heating systems can both dry out indoor air. If your eyes dry out at home, consider a humidifier to boost the air's moisture content. Keep the filter and water tank clean to avoid mould and bacteria.
ARTIFICIAL TEARS Look out for demulcent (anti-irriant) drops that moisturise your eyes - not types that remove redness (these can dry out eyes even more).
A WARM FLANNEL If having dry eyes is just an occasional concern, soak a flannel in water, wring it out, then warm it in a microwave for 20 seconds, or unitl it's sootingly warm. Then place it over your eyelids for 5-10 minutes. This will provide instant relief and will also help to get the tears flowing again. You can repeat a few times a day if you wish.
and help to protect the eyes from the sun's ultraviolet rays. People who get plenty of these healthy antioxidants have a 20 percent lower risk of cataracts and a 40 percent lower risk of AMD.
Add a side salad of dark, leafy greens Adding spinach, kale, Swiss chard or other green to salads, soups and sanwiches is a smart, eye-defending move. They've also rich in the eye-protecting antioxidants lutein and zexanthin, as well as beta-carotene.
Wear sunglasses whenever the sun shines All-round protection from the sun's damaging UV rays can help to lower your odds of cataract development, as well as photokeratitis (a sort of sunburn of the coronea), pterygium (an abnormal growth of tissue on the white of the eye), corneal degeneration, cancer of the skin around the eye and on the eyelids and possibly AMD. Sunglasses act like
sunscreen for the eyes.
Look for close-fitting shades (wraparound styles are best) that block at least 99 percent of UVA and UVB rays. Good news: the price and the colour of the lenses won't affect how well they deflect the sun's damage. You can get sunglasses fitted with prescription lenses if you need these for short sight or other vision problems, as well as sunglasses that work even when you're wearing contact lenses.
Add a broad-brimmed hat You may be especially vulnerable to sun damage if your eyes are blue, if you spend lots of time outdoors - especially at the beach, on the water or near snow, which all reflect and magnify sun exposure - or if you take sun-sensitising drugs (ask your doctor about your prescriptions; many classes of drugs have this effect). If any of these apply to you, wear a broad-brimmed hat plus sunglasses for double protection.
Snack on an orange or red fruit or veg at least once a day A tangerine, clementine, handful of ripe strawberries, strips of red pepper ...these high-vitamin C foods add a delicious sweetness and crunch to snack time and pack an eye-guarding bonus. Spanish researchers in Valencia who investigated the vitamin C levels of a group of 668 people aged 55-74, half (roughly) with cataracts and half without, have found that the people with the highest levels of the vitamin in their blood cut their risk of cataract by 64 percent. They concluded that vitamin C may protect the lens from age-related cataracts, even in a population with already high vitamin C intakes.
Have salmon for dinner tonight The omega-3 fatty acids present in the foods such as oily fish and flaxseeds may reduce the risk of AMD. In a University of Melbourne reveiew of nine studies including a total 88,974 people, those with the highest dietary intake of omega-3s had a 38 percent lower risk of late AMD compared with participants with the lowest intakes. Just eating fish at least twice a week reduces a risk of early AMD by 24 percent and of late AMD by 33 percent. Other studies have shown that people with a high intake of omega-6 (vegetable oils) were more likely to develop macular degeneration, while those with a combination of lower omega-6 and higher omega-3 intake were less likely to have the disease.
Think about vision-protecting supplements People at risk of AMD should consider taking eye-protecting supplements. That's the conclusion of researchers after a huge study by the US National Eye Institute of 3,640 people aged over 55 in the early stages of AMD. Those who took antioxidant supplements had a 32 percent reduction in their risk of progressing to advanced AMD or vision loss after eight years. The result are so impressive that researchers
There is absolutely no reason why you can't have good eyesight at any age
recommend that anyone at risk should consider taking the same supplements in the same doses: 500mg vitamin C; 400 IU of vitamin E; 15mg of beta-carotene; 80mg of zinc as zinc oxide and 2mg of copper as cuprice oxide. (Copper is added to avoid copper deficiencies, which can result from getting high levels of zinc.) Some combined supplements contain all of these plus others, such as lutein, for maximum eye protection.
Don't take high-dose antioxidant supplements of C, E and/or beta-carotene alone - studies show that without zinc, they don't seem to help. And if you smoke, skip this supplement completely. studies show that smokers who take beta-carotene supplements may raise their risk of lung cancer.
Keep taking the eyedrops If you have initial signs of glaucoma, your doctor may prescribe drops to stop the condition progressing and causing damage to the optic nerve at the back of the eye. It's really important to keep up with the treatment, even if you don't have any vision symptoms as yet - the eyedrops dramatically cut the risk of potentially vision-robbing complications. And if you have a family history of glaucoma, make sure you visit your optomerist as often as recommended, so the problem can be detected before it does any damage. If you have a family history, you're entitled to a free eye check every year.
Pamper your eyes If you have diabetes, high blood sugar raises your risk of cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy - damage to the blood vessels within the eye that can lead to blindness. Controlling your blood sugar and getting a yearly eye examination in which your pupils are dilated so that the optician can look carefully at the insides of your eyes can greatly reduce your chances of future vision troubles.
Vision-robbers to avoidHere are a few things that you can control and which can hurt your vision as you age:
Sitting disease when researchers tracked nearly 4,000 residents of a town in Wisconsin, USA, for 15 years, they found that those who climbed more than six fights of steps a day or walked round the block more than 12 times were 70 percent less likely to develop advanced AMD than their more sedentary neighbours. So it turns out that a sedentary negighbours. so it turns out that a sedentary lifestyle - aptly called sitting disease - can even harm your eyes.
Smoking cigarette smokers are up to four times more likely than non-smokers to be blinded by AMD later in life.
Tight neckties Seriously. In one study of 40 men, half of whom had glaucoma, wearing a tight tie raised the pressure of fluid within the eye - a risk factor for glaucoma - significantly in both groups. That's on jut one measurement - no one knows the long-term effects of wearing constricting neckwear daily for years, but it could raise your risk of glaucoma or make an existing condition worse. So if you do wear a tie, make sure you can easily slip two fingers inside your collar. If you can't, loosen your tie.
BLINKING If you spend hours watching TV, surfing the web or working at a computer. You may not be blinking enough. Studies show that while people normally blink 12 times a minute, your 'blink rate' may drop to two or three times in 3 minutes while you're watching a screen. Simply positioning your screen just below eye level could help to minimise moisture loss, because you'll close your eyes a little bit to look down. But also make a conscious effort to blink more.
A HUMIDIFIER Air-conditioning and heating systems can both dry out indoor air. If your eyes dry out at home, consider a humidifier to boost the air's moisture content. Keep the filter and water tank clean to avoid mould and bacteria.
ARTIFICIAL TEARS Look out for demulcent (anti-irriant) drops that moisturise your eyes - not types that remove redness (these can dry out eyes even more).
A WARM FLANNEL If having dry eyes is just an occasional concern, soak a flannel in water, wring it out, then warm it in a microwave for 20 seconds, or unitl it's sootingly warm. Then place it over your eyelids for 5-10 minutes. This will provide instant relief and will also help to get the tears flowing again. You can repeat a few times a day if you wish.
and help to protect the eyes from the sun's ultraviolet rays. People who get plenty of these healthy antioxidants have a 20 percent lower risk of cataracts and a 40 percent lower risk of AMD.
Add a side salad of dark, leafy greens Adding spinach, kale, Swiss chard or other green to salads, soups and sanwiches is a smart, eye-defending move. They've also rich in the eye-protecting antioxidants lutein and zexanthin, as well as beta-carotene.
Wear sunglasses whenever the sun shines All-round protection from the sun's damaging UV rays can help to lower your odds of cataract development, as well as photokeratitis (a sort of sunburn of the coronea), pterygium (an abnormal growth of tissue on the white of the eye), corneal degeneration, cancer of the skin around the eye and on the eyelids and possibly AMD. Sunglasses act like
sunscreen for the eyes.
Look for close-fitting shades (wraparound styles are best) that block at least 99 percent of UVA and UVB rays. Good news: the price and the colour of the lenses won't affect how well they deflect the sun's damage. You can get sunglasses fitted with prescription lenses if you need these for short sight or other vision problems, as well as sunglasses that work even when you're wearing contact lenses.
Add a broad-brimmed hat You may be especially vulnerable to sun damage if your eyes are blue, if you spend lots of time outdoors - especially at the beach, on the water or near snow, which all reflect and magnify sun exposure - or if you take sun-sensitising drugs (ask your doctor about your prescriptions; many classes of drugs have this effect). If any of these apply to you, wear a broad-brimmed hat plus sunglasses for double protection.
Snack on an orange or red fruit or veg at least once a day A tangerine, clementine, handful of ripe strawberries, strips of red pepper ...these high-vitamin C foods add a delicious sweetness and crunch to snack time and pack an eye-guarding bonus. Spanish researchers in Valencia who investigated the vitamin C levels of a group of 668 people aged 55-74, half (roughly) with cataracts and half without, have found that the people with the highest levels of the vitamin in their blood cut their risk of cataract by 64 percent. They concluded that vitamin C may protect the lens from age-related cataracts, even in a population with already high vitamin C intakes.
Have salmon for dinner tonight The omega-3 fatty acids present in the foods such as oily fish and flaxseeds may reduce the risk of AMD. In a University of Melbourne reveiew of nine studies including a total 88,974 people, those with the highest dietary intake of omega-3s had a 38 percent lower risk of late AMD compared with participants with the lowest intakes. Just eating fish at least twice a week reduces a risk of early AMD by 24 percent and of late AMD by 33 percent. Other studies have shown that people with a high intake of omega-6 (vegetable oils) were more likely to develop macular degeneration, while those with a combination of lower omega-6 and higher omega-3 intake were less likely to have the disease.
Think about vision-protecting supplements People at risk of AMD should consider taking eye-protecting supplements. That's the conclusion of researchers after a huge study by the US National Eye Institute of 3,640 people aged over 55 in the early stages of AMD. Those who took antioxidant supplements had a 32 percent reduction in their risk of progressing to advanced AMD or vision loss after eight years. The result are so impressive that researchers
There is absolutely no reason why you can't have good eyesight at any age
recommend that anyone at risk should consider taking the same supplements in the same doses: 500mg vitamin C; 400 IU of vitamin E; 15mg of beta-carotene; 80mg of zinc as zinc oxide and 2mg of copper as cuprice oxide. (Copper is added to avoid copper deficiencies, which can result from getting high levels of zinc.) Some combined supplements contain all of these plus others, such as lutein, for maximum eye protection.
Don't take high-dose antioxidant supplements of C, E and/or beta-carotene alone - studies show that without zinc, they don't seem to help. And if you smoke, skip this supplement completely. studies show that smokers who take beta-carotene supplements may raise their risk of lung cancer.
Keep taking the eyedrops If you have initial signs of glaucoma, your doctor may prescribe drops to stop the condition progressing and causing damage to the optic nerve at the back of the eye. It's really important to keep up with the treatment, even if you don't have any vision symptoms as yet - the eyedrops dramatically cut the risk of potentially vision-robbing complications. And if you have a family history of glaucoma, make sure you visit your optomerist as often as recommended, so the problem can be detected before it does any damage. If you have a family history, you're entitled to a free eye check every year.
Pamper your eyes If you have diabetes, high blood sugar raises your risk of cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy - damage to the blood vessels within the eye that can lead to blindness. Controlling your blood sugar and getting a yearly eye examination in which your pupils are dilated so that the optician can look carefully at the insides of your eyes can greatly reduce your chances of future vision troubles.
Vision-robbers to avoidHere are a few things that you can control and which can hurt your vision as you age:
Sitting disease when researchers tracked nearly 4,000 residents of a town in Wisconsin, USA, for 15 years, they found that those who climbed more than six fights of steps a day or walked round the block more than 12 times were 70 percent less likely to develop advanced AMD than their more sedentary neighbours. So it turns out that a sedentary negighbours. so it turns out that a sedentary lifestyle - aptly called sitting disease - can even harm your eyes.
Smoking cigarette smokers are up to four times more likely than non-smokers to be blinded by AMD later in life.
Tight neckties Seriously. In one study of 40 men, half of whom had glaucoma, wearing a tight tie raised the pressure of fluid within the eye - a risk factor for glaucoma - significantly in both groups. That's on jut one measurement - no one knows the long-term effects of wearing constricting neckwear daily for years, but it could raise your risk of glaucoma or make an existing condition worse. So if you do wear a tie, make sure you can easily slip two fingers inside your collar. If you can't, loosen your tie.
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