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Eyes are an important part of your body. Unfortunately, unless you already have vision problems, chances are you know very little about how to take care of your eyes. While there are highly visible national campaigns for things like Autism, heart health, diabetes, and breast cancer, it is rare that you see an advertisement for ocular health. Believe it or not, your eyes require just as much maintenance as the rest of you. If you want to keep your eyes healthy and strong for a long time, there are some simple things you can do, including finding great eye care in Danvers, MA. Get Off the Couch While everyone knows that exercise can help prevent and/or treat things like heart disease and diabetes, did you know it can also keep your eyes healthy? Studies have linked regular exercise to a 70 percent decrease in risk for macular degeneration. While macular degeneration can affect people of all ages, it is most common in the elderly. When someone has macular degeneration, their retina begins to deteriorate, causing eventual blindness. Even though it doesn't seem like cardiovascular exercise would have an effect on the eyes, it apparently does! Reasons for staying active just seem to keep piling up! Eat Your Fruits and Veggies As with almost all other health related issues, a healthy diet full of nutrients can help protect your eyes. By eating diets rich in antioxidants, you can protect your eyes from cataracts. Cataracts affect more than half of all people over age 65 and are a leading cause of vision loss. Cataracts occur when there is a buildup of protein in the lens of the eye. As the protein builds up, the fluid behind the lens becomes cloudy, blocking some of the light needed by the eye to create clear pictures. By eating foods like pomegranates, blueberries, and dark greens, you can help protect against this common disease. Grab Your Glasses Everyone knows that the sun is not good for their eyes. Sunglasses should be a part of your daily wardrobe, because by using them, you can protect your eyes from 100% of UV rays. UV rays have been linked to such diseases as cataracts, pingueculae, and photokeratitis. Pingueculae are basically callouses on the whites of the eyes. In some cases, pingueculae can grow large enough to adversely affect vision. Photokeratitis, on the other hand, is very similar to having a sunburn on your eyes. It most commonly affects people who spend a lot of time outdoors. By wearing sunglasses during your adventures, you can prevent this painful and damaging condition. Go for Checkups If you happen to have great vision, you probably never think about getting an eye checkup but you should. Having your eyes examined every two years is an important part of making sure they are healthy and strong for years to come. During an eye exam, you can generally expect to be given a visual acuity test, a color blindness test, and the glaucoma test, among several others. While some of the tests may be uncomfortable, they can help detect and prevent serious diseases that could cause vision loss. Know Your Risk Factors For those who are familiar with philosophy, the phrase "Know Thyself," should be familiar. This phrase, coined by none other than Socrates, also applies to ocular health. One of the greatest weapons you can have in the battle against vision loss is to know what your risk factors are. While people over the age of 65 are certainly at risk for a number of diseases, certain ethnic groups are also more likely to suffer from a number of diseases. By following these simple steps and finding great eye care in Danvers, MA, you can be sure to see the big picture for many years to come.
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