Protect Your Family's Vision With These Tips

Every parent knows it is crucial to protect their family's health, but one aspect of wellness that is often forgotten about is eye health. The ability to see clearly is something that many people take for granted until their eyesight changes and their vision is impacted. Protecting your family's eye health and vision is crucial, but it is often overlooked. If you are keen to take the best care of your family's eye health, these tips should help you get started:

Schedule Regular Eye Exams

Scheduling regular eye exams is essential to protect your family's vision. Guidance on the frequency of eye tests varies depending on your age and whether you have any other health issues that could impact your sight. For children, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) recommends frequent eye exams before the age of five. From five years, children will be screened for vision problems such as nearsightedness so that it can be corrected with eyeglasses.

For adults, the AAO recommends that people in their 20s have at least one complete eye exam and at least two complete eye exams in their 30s. At the age of forty, a complete eye exam is recommended, as this is the age where many vision changes start to become apparent. People of any age who have a history of diseases that can cause vision conditions are advised to get frequent eye exams to avoid the onset of any problems. 

Don't Ignore Changes

If you notice changes in your vision or general eye health, it is essential to schedule an eye exam so that this can be investigated further. Subtle changes in vision or feeling discomfort and pain in your eyes could be a sign that there is an underlying problem. If you begin to see floaters and lights, this is also something that you are advised to get checked out by an eye care professional. As with all health conditions, early detection is best, and seeking treatment early is essential to avoid permanent sight damage.If you have traveled to a location known as an area where tropical diseases are transmitted, it is worth speaking with a medical professional about your concerns. Some rare tropical diseases can impact sight and even lead to blindness. One of these conditions is known as river blindness. Treatment is available to help with combating river blindness, so it is best to be cautious and get checked out if you have traveled to a country where the disease is active.

Maintain a Healthy Diet

As well as looking out for changes to your vision and getting regular eye exams, you can also help protect your family's vision by eating a healthy diet. Everyone knows that they need to eat a balanced diet to maintain good health, but diet also plays a role in protecting eye health. A diet that supports your eye health includes foods such as dark, leafy greens, beans and legumes, salmon, and foods containing vitamin C such as strawberries and red peppers.