Why eye health is the next wellness frontier and what you should be doing about yours
The pandemic has prompted many of us to adopt a more intentional approach to protect our health. Whether it is better to take care of our intestine, to try to limit stress or to be more diligent on oral hygiene, many of us are much more proactive about the bases these days. An additional area you may not think of, but should be eye health. Like other important systems in the body, there is an innate link between our vision and our health that should not be ignored (underlying, it is research that demonstrates the existence of communication axes between the intestinal and eyes microbiota). “Your eyes are the windows of your overall health,” explains the ophthalmologist Consultant Alex Day. “Many systemic conditions, from diabetes to hypertension, may first appear in the eyes, making eye health a crucial early indicator of your body well-being.”
Keep an eye on your eyes
“Our eye health is important because our vision plays a central role in the way we interact with the world,” explains Day. “Poor eye health can lead to a range of problems that can reduce quality of life.” It is easy to reject certain signs of poor ocular health such as fatigue or a sign of being overworked. However, if you feel several symptoms together or for an prolonged period, this could mean an underlying condition that needs an investigation. Common symptoms include blurred or double vision, frequent headache, eye fatigue or discomfort. According to Day, other potential warning signs include redness, drought or itching, sensitivity to light, problems to see at night or a sudden decrease in vision or an increase in floats or shadows in your vision. If one of them occurs frequently, it is best to make an appointment with your local optician to exclude something more serious.
Like your skin, the eyes can suffer from inflammatory conditions such as ocular rosacea, which often reacts to environmental triggers such as heat or alcohol. If you spend a lot of time on a computer or if you are a menopausic, you may suffer from the dryer drought syndrome, which is characterized by itching, painful or grainy eyes. Although it seems benign, in serious cases, if they are not treated, this can cause corneal damage and an altered vision.
Brain health begins with your eyes
Although it seems a little horrible, the eye is the only part of the brain to see directly. “The retina is made up of neural tissue, making eyes an extension of the brain,” explains Day. “It can be visualized when an optician uses an ophthalmoscope or a slit lamp as part of an view of the view. These clearly show the most interior layer of the eye (the retina), as well as the optic nerve that brings the retina signals to the brain. There is also a clear link between the deterioration of eye health and the decline in cognitive function; According to a recent study by the University of Loughborough, a loss of visual sensitivity can predict dementia 12 years before its diagnosis.
The changes in the eye can also highlight neurological conditions such as brain vascular accidents and tumors, as well as chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. “In many neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis or types of strokes, we can see changes in the optic nerve and the retina that help make a direct diagnosis,” explains Day. “If pressure in the brain increases, for example, due to a brain tumor, we can see this as swelling of the optic nerve.”
Protect your heart health
View examinations can provide critical clues to other essential areas of health, including cardiovascular health, generally observed via changes in retinal vessels. “The retina receives the blood supply of small arteries and veins similar to those that provide the heart and the brain,” explains Day. “Gras deposits unleashed from the carotid artery can be housed in the retinal arteries, signaling a risk to high stroke, [while] Blocked retinal veins linked to blood clots or high pressure can mean cholesterol or high hypertension. The other markers that are visible during views of sight include oily bumps, which may indicate the risk of high cholesterol, and retinal vessels that may indicate a high risk of cardiovascular mortality.
Understand your risks
The changes to our sight are a common part of aging. Presbyopia, the term medical for age linked to age, is something that we all live and is a normal part of age. But while our view Can be systematically affected, it is important to avoid the deterioration of our eye health as much as possible. Get to know your family history of conditions such as cataracts and glaucoma will help you understand your personal risks and allow you to take preventive measures to protect your eye health and general health.
How to make better eye health part of your lifestyle
Have regular checks
As you would with your teeth and taupes, plan regular checks with your local optician. This is an important part of the good overall health support, even if your vision is perfect and you have no sinister symptoms. According to the Collège des Optometristes, everyone over 16 should undergo an eye test every two years, while younger children should be tested each year. If you have family history of eye conditions, you may need to take an annual test once you are over 60 years old.
Cover and eat well
Remember to make changes to your lifestyle. If you do not regularly do sunglasses with strong UV protection when the sun is cut, you could cause long -term damage. “In addition, do not smoke and follow a healthy and balanced diet, rich in green leafy vegetables (such as spinach, cabbage, curly cabbage) and omega-3 oils can further support eye health,” explains Day. “Staying well hydrated and sleeping sufficiently can prevent dry eyes, and the elimination of makeup at the end of the day is also crucial.” To further minimize your risk of current eye conditions, consider targeted supplements to improve eye health. Vitamin helps maintain clear corneas and improves low -light vision, while vitamin E is a protective antioxidant that can help alleviate eye cell damage. Omega-3 fatty acids, on the other hand, have anti-inflammatory properties that can help slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration, and lutein offers critical protection against UV light.
Limit screen time
Limiting exposure to screen time is not only a good idea for capricious teenagers; The rest of us should also do it. “We tend to flash less often when we look at the screens, which can cause eye throws and the drying of the ocular surface,” explains Day. To deny this, regular screen breaks are essential. “Follow the rule of 20/20/20,” he advises. “Take a 20 -second break from your digital device every 20 minutes and look at something from a distance. Define an alarm at countdown on your smartphone as a reminder. »»
