How a healthy lifestyle helps protect your eyes

Did you know that many lifestyle choices that affect your overall health could also affect the health of your eyes? Here are three facts about how lifestyle may impact your vision and eye health.

1. Smoking is bad for your eyes. Anti-smoking campaigns often focus on the fact that smoking causes increased blood pressure and cancer, but smokers are also at risk for vision problems. Uveitis, cataracts, dry eye and age-related macular degeneration are all more common in smokers than they are in the general population.

2. Exercise helps prevent vision loss. Exercise has many health benefits but it also helps with vision problems. Several studies have shown a connection between exercise and decreased risks for glaucoma, cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.

3. A balanced diet is key for eye health. Those who consume diets high in fat and sugar have an increased risk for eye disease. However, those who have diets high in vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, healthy proteins and lutein have a decreased risk for eye diseases. Adding a supplement to your diet may be necessary to ensure you get the proper nutrients.

There are many reasons to consider making healthier lifestyle choices and preserving your vision and eye health is an important one. Additionally, making healthy choices can help you avoid chronic conditions that put you at greater risk of vision loss such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.