Eye Health

A close up photo of a blue eye

Every day in the UK 250 people start to lose their eyesight.

Your eyes might look okay and your eyesight might be fine, but that doesn’t necessarily mean your eyes are healthy. The only way to ensure your eyes are healthy is to visit your optician to get an eye test.

Good habits for healthy eyes include:

Nutrition Good nutrition is also very important for eye health as well as our overall health. The body needs nutrients to grow and repair cells, and also helps to protect and fight against infection.

Rich sources of vitamins A, C and E are found in fruit and vegetables such as oranges, grapefruit, kiwi and dried apricots. Green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach and broccoli, or green peas, green beans and Brussels sprouts are ideal sources of the vitamins that we need for eye health. Rich sources of vitamins can also be found in nuts, seeds, dairy products and eggs. Lutein can also found in yellow peppers, mango, and bilberries whilst Zeaxanthin can be found in orange sweet peppers, broccoli, corn, and lettuce (not iceberg).

A diet that includes a high intake of omega-3 that is found in oily fish has been shown to help with certain eye conditions like Age Related Macular Degeneration.

Smoking and sight loss

  • Link is as strong for lung cancer
  • Risk is reduced in former smokers
  • Increased risk by up to 3 times and develops earlier
  • Age Related Macular Degeneration, cataracts and diabetes

(College of Ophthalmologists, College of Optometrists, RNIB)

Obesity and sight loss

  • Macular Degeneration, cataracts, vascular eye problems & diabetes
  • Increases risk of dry macular degeneration
  • Increases the rate of progress of wet macular degeneration
  • Risk doubles for anyone with a Body Mass Index over 30
  • Risk increases up to 11 times for anyone with a family history
  • Many people develop diabetic retinopathy before diabetes is diagnosed

(College of Ophthalmologists, College of Optometrists, RNIB)

Top tips for eye health

  • Don’t ignore changes, get them checked
  • Get your eyes tested regularly
  • Stop smoking
  • Protect your eyes from the sun
  • Ensure you have good lighting when reading
  • Take regular breaks from your computer
  • Drink plenty of water
  • Know your family eye health history
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