Guest Blog by: ConnectiCare
Your eyes are an important, but often overlooked, part of your overall health. Learn what you can do to help protect your vision.
Eye care experts recommend a comprehensive eye exam every one to two years, depending on your age, risk factors, and whether you currently wear glasses or contacts.
During the exam, your doctor will look for signs of common vision problems and eye diseases, like diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Keeping an eye on vision health
Want to look out for your vision health? Follow these four healthy habits:
- Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight increases your risk of developing diabetes and other conditions that can lead to vision loss.
- Eat healthy foods. You’ve probably heard carrots are good for your eyes. Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is important for keeping your eyes healthy, particularly dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, or collard greens. There are also eye health benefits from eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, and halibut.
- Don’t smoke. Smoking is as bad for your eyes as it is for the rest of your body. Research has linked smoking to an increased risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and optic nerve damage, all of which can lead to blindness.
- Manage chronic conditions. Many conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, and multiple sclerosis, can greatly impact vision, resulting in inflammation of the optic nerve, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and even blindness. Managing these conditions with the help of your health care provider can often prevent these eye problems from occurring.
We’re here to help. ConnectiCare members can call the number on the back of their member ID cards to be connected to our Care Management team. These medical professionals can help you create healthy eating plans, join a smoking cessation program, manage chronic conditions, and more.