While eye conditions and vision impairments can happen to anyone regardless of age, the odds of them occurring increase drastically as we approach our golden years during retirement. As such, the elderly must take proper care of their vision and seek professional eye care services whenever any concerns appear. Read on to learn more about what you can do as vision care.
Quitting/ Cutting Down on Smoke
If you or your loved one happen to be a smoker, we highly encourage that you cut down or quit smoking completely to reduce the risks of developing vision problems. Research over the years has consistently suggested that smokers are 2.5 times more at risk of developing macular degeneration as compared to non-smokers. In addition, smokers above the age of 80 have a 5.5 higher risk of AMD. Being detrimental not only to vision but also to other health concerns, the elderly are highly encouraged to kick the habit. While the effects of smoking may not have been apparent in your younger days, the same doesn’t necessarily hold for the future.
Regular Eye Exams
The best way for you to care for your vision is to visit an eye specialist regularly for eye exams. This way, they will be quick to notice and rectify problems with vision. Early detection of eye diseases is imperative to proper vision care. As a general rule of thumb, the elderly should go for regular eye exams at least once every year.
Wearing Prescription Glasses
Most elderly will require the use of glasses for objects at a near distance. If you require them, you need to wear your prescription glasses at all times to ensure you have a good vision of the potential hazards in your surrounding area. This decreases the risks of you getting into accidents and falling over, keeping you safe.
If you or your loved one has trouble with identifying hazards, then we highly recommend a move into an assisted living community like TerraBella Newton. This is especially so if you live alone, making it difficult to get help should any unfortunate accidents occur.
Wearing Protective Glasses
If you do not require prescription glasses, you can also wear protective glasses to shield your eyes from any harmful ultraviolet light. Alternatives include wearing hats that have a brim, an umbrella, or even using a scarf to shield your eyes.
Adopting a Healthy Lifestyle
Living a healthy lifestyle is imperative to lower the risks of developing health conditions, including vision problems. Generally, people who lead a healthy lifestyle should do some light exercise minimally twice a week and follow a good diet plan that includes a lot of leafy greens and vegetables.
Both exercise and healthy diet help to encourage proper blood circulation and oxygen intake to our eyes, keeping them well protected.
Assisted Living Community
One of the easiest ways to lead a healthy lifestyle that promote eye care is to simply move into a retirement community, where programs are in place to ensure the best for you. If you happen to be looking for a retirement community, then we highly recommend that you consider TerraBella Newton.
