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Protecting the Eyes Against Injury, Cataracts, Glaucoma and Blindness

Maintaining eye health is important to everyone. While eyeglasses and contact lenses can treat the symptoms of nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism, it is important to guard the eyes against damage and disease that can cause blindness.

The most predictable threat to eyesight is age-related farsightedness, or presbyopia (prez be OH pee uh). The eye's ability to focus peaks when a person is about twelve years old, then slowly declines with every year thereafter. By the time they reach 35 to 45 years, most people begin to notice that they have to hold books and newspapers at arm�s length to focus properly while reading them. This condition is called presbyopia, the age-related vision change that occurs as the lens of the eye becomes harder and less clear.

Regular eye exams are important to maintain eye health. An eye doctor checks the health of the eyes and the overall functioning of the entire visual system. The doctor will test for how well your eyes focus on near and far objects, and how well they work together for depth perception. An examination of the interior of the eye shows signs of macular degeneration, detached retina, cataracts, glaucoma and other diseases.

People often squint when they are trying to read small text or see in bright sunlight. One cosmetic side effect of squinting is that it deepens the lines around your eyes, making the person look older. Sunglasses should be worn to help preserve the smooth appearance of the face around the eyes. Sunglasses are also believed to help prevent cataracts, which can be caused by sun damage.

In most cases, eyeglasses and contact lenses will restore the ability to see close-up again. Increasing age necessitates bifocals, bifocal contact lenses, or reading glasses. It is generally agreed that drugstore reading glasses do not harm the eyes.

Some eye professionals advocate exercising the muscles in the eyes as a person might exercise the other muscles in the body. Eye exercises would include the following.

Practice tracking moving objects and following things. Some computer games may provide this type of exercise, although they do not exercise the near-far eye focusing muscles.

Shift the gaze often. Look here and there. Focus near, then focus far. Look up from the computer monitor every couple of minutes.

The best way to keep the eyes young and vision sharp is to practice prevention. Here's what experts recommend.

Get enough beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is important for good eye health, and eating fruits and vegetables adds fiber, which is important to your overall health. Good sources include carrots, papaya, pumpkin, broccoli, mango, kale, Swiss chard, and spinach.

As the eyes age, the protein material in the lens may begin to cloud. This clouding starts subtly, like adding drops of milk to a glass of water. Annual eye examinations during the middle-aged years will diagnose cataracts early, before they begin to significantly interfere with driving ability, reading, and everyday living. Cataracts can be corrected surgically.

Like cataracts, blindness can start subtly. A very important reason for regular eye examinations is screening for glaucoma. When pressure builds behind the eye, damage can occur to the optic nerve and lead to blindness. Glaucoma starts painlessly, so an examination is the only path to early detection. Persons who have suffered a significant eye injury (at any time during their life), or who have blood relatives with glaucoma, are at higher risk for developing glaucoma during middle age.

Eyeglasses not only correct the vision, they also offer protection against injury to the eyes. Impact-resistant sunglasses or safety glasses pard against ultraviolet rays. Wearing a wide-brimmed hat while in the sun also helps to preserve the eyesight.