Living Your Best Life With Healthy Eyes

Changes happen to our eyes as we begin to grow older. Besides the obvious change related to near vision and reading, commonly known as presbyopia, two common conditions that naturally concern and affect patients as they begin to age are macular degeneration and cataracts.

Cataracts are a completely normal part of the aging process. Most people will eventually develop them, but it’s only necessary to treat cataracts if they interfere with your day-to-day activities.

Macular degeneration is the deterioration of the central part of the retina, called the macula, which causes irreversible vision loss. It is the leading cause of severe vision loss in people over the age of 60 but thankfully, not everyone develops this disease.

Optometrist Dr. Ana Juricic wants patients to know that even if you have been diagnosed with one of these conditions, there are options available to help you see better and live your best life despite the diagnosis. Your optometrist has these solutions, and should be the first stop on your journey to vision improvement.

There are also ways you can take control of your general well-being to help preserve your eye health, and prevent or slow down some of the changes we face with normal aging. Dr. Juricic recommends:

– eating leafy green vegetables, colourful fruits and foods rich in antioxidants

– taking a supplement if your diet doesn’t include a lot of the foods above,

– quitting smoking, and

– wearing a hat and sunglasses with UV protection when outside.

Dr. Juricic’s most important eye health advice is making sure to visit your optometrist at least once a year. Not only can an optometrist detect changes in your eyes that may indicate a problem you haven’t even noticed, but they can also detect systemic diseases that aren’t yet showing obvious symptoms.

Eye health changes are a normal part of the aging process. But those changes don’t have to make your world smaller, scarier and harder to navigate. Your optometrist wants to help you see your world the best way you can, and they have the solutions to help you do so.

If you don’t have an optometrist, visit FindAnEyeDoctor.ca to locate one near you today.

Visit everythingzoomer.com/insight2020 to share with us any other questions or concerns you may have about your eye health.