People often focus on the visible portion of the eye, and there is no denying that your eyes can reveal more about you than just the color of your irises. The retina exists the back portion of your eye, and the layers of tissue there are filled with nerves and blood vessels that support your vision. Maintaining good health in general helps to keep your retinas functioning properly, and you can add these strategies to your healthy living plan to give them an extra boost.
Schedule Regular Dilated Eye Exams
People tend to put off dilated eye exams, mostly because they require having someone help drive you home. However, this painless exam is necessary for giving a retinal specialist in Brooklyn a closer look at the inner parts of your eye. The recommended frequency for this type of exam depends upon your health history. People over 60, African Americans over 40 and those with glaucoma and diabetes may need a dilated eye exam annually or every two years.
Control Chronic Health Conditions
There’s a reason why people with diabetes need more frequent eye exams. This health condition impacts the blood vessels in your eyes, which can lead to issues with the retinas. The same is also true of cardiovascular disease. Controlling your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels all benefit retinal health.
Quit Smoking
If you use tobacco products, then you probably already know about the long list of health conditions that smoking can cause. Now, you can add retinal health issues to your list of reasons to finally make the leap to quitting. Smoking is linked to an increased risk of health conditions that include macular degeneration, cataracts and glaucoma. Although retina specialists in NYC have treatments for these conditions, your prognosis for a long term recovery is better when you’ve quit smoking.
Wear Protective Lenses
The retinas are extremely sensitive to light, which is part of how they operate to send signals to the optic nerve about what you see in your environment. This sensitivity also extends to being vulnerable to the sun’s UV rays. Wearing sunglasses is a simple way to protect your eyes from damage. Today, you can also find contacts that offer similar levels of protection, if you wear corrective lenses.
Engage In Regular Daily Exercise
Getting the blood pumping through your body also means that it is making its way to your eyes. Just like the other parts of your body, the retinas depend upon a steady flow of oxygenated blood that is filled with nutrients to support their health. If you’re new to exercise, then just walking 30 minutes a day can make a difference. If you engage in contact sports or other forms of exercise that increase the risk of eye injuries, then make sure to wear proper eye protection.
Taking care of your retinal health also involves looking out for signs of vision changes. Seeing floaters, flashing lights or noticing that portions of your vision are dark or unclear are all signs that you need to be proactive about visiting an eye care specialist. Choosing to work with an eye doctor that offers all of the latest treatments helps you benefit from the highest level of care to maintain your retinal health.