Monthly Archives: July

healthy vision

5 Simple Nutrition Tips for Healthy Vision

Taking steps to maintain healthy vision is an important part of taking care of your overall well-being.  Thankfully, there are things you can incorporate into your everyday diet that can help you achieve this goal.  For example, finding ways to add in the following nutritional supplements is a simple way to support your eye health while enjoying great food.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

You may have heard that eating fish is good for your eyes.  This is true, and it’s because many types of fish (like salmon, tuna, sardines or mackerel) are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.  These essential fatty acids have been known to protect eyes from developing macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and dry eye syndrome, while enhancing proper visual development.

Vitamin A

Healthy vision is definitely enhanced with a diet rich in vitamin A.  This important vitamin can help lower your risk of cataracts and macular degeneration and helps to maintain a clear cornea.  Conversely, a deficiency in vitamin A can lead to dry eye, poor night vision or vision loss.  Some good sources of vitamin A include eggs, cod liver oil, fortified skim milk, colorful fruits and vegetables and green, leafy vegetables.

Carotenoids

Carotenoids are naturally occurring pigments of yellow, orange and red produced by some plants and algae.  Loaded with antioxidants, they are found in colorful fruits and vegetables like carrots, tomatoes, melons, plums, spinach and sweet potatoes.  Studies have shown that carotenoids can promote overall healthy vision as well as protect the eyes from the harmful effects of blue light exposure.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is an antioxidant found in some fruits and vegetables, and can provide tremendous benefits to your eye health.  Studies have shown this vitamin to reduce the risk of developing cataracts, as well as slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration when taken with other nutrients.  For healthy vision, add in more orange juice, strawberries, grapefruit, red and green bell peppers, broccoli or kale.

One More Healthy Vision Tip

An additional benefit worth noting is that eating healthy foods, like those mentioned above, can have a positive effect on a person’s overall weight – which can benefit their vision.  For example, extra body fat and obesity-related diseases (such as diabetes) can negatively impact your eye health and can lead to higher instances of age-related macular degeneration.  Therefore, maintaining a healthy weight can help to maintain healthy vision.

Of course, healthy vision starts with regular eye exams which allow us to get an overall assessment of your eye health and discover any changes as early as possible.  At Family Vision Development Center, we believe in whole body wellness that extends beyond the eyes.  Above all, we take pride in our one-on-one, personalized care that we offer to each patient.  Contact us at 630-862-2020 or visit us online to learn more about our high-quality services or to make your appointment.

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eye strain

Movie Buffs Should Beware of These 7 Signs of Eye Strain

Eye strain is a real problem, especially in today’s world of digital screens.  However, it does not mean you need to completely give up your favorite activities. If a movie marathon on a rainy day is your idea of the perfect Sunday afternoon, just make sure you understand the dangers of eye strain.  Here’s what to watch out for and what you can do to reduce the effects.

What Causes Eye Strain While Watching Movies or TV

Our daily lives are very geared toward the use of electronics.  So it stands to reason that we spend many hours every day staring at a digital screen.  When you add in a movie or two, the strain on your eyes can be overwhelming.  Watching TV or movies requires your eyes to focus differently than when looking at printed material.  A computer or tablet monitor, or a TV screen, can add in contrast, flickering light and glare. Additionally, when watching TV in a dark room, your eyes must constantly adjust to different levels of light from the screen.  All of these factors require your eyes to work harder and eye strain to occur.

What Does Eye Strain Feel Like

So how do you know if you are actually experiencing eye strain?  Look for these common symptoms:

  • Headaches
  • Blurred vision or trouble focusing
  • Dryness or watery eyes
  • Sore or tired eyes
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Increased light sensitivity
  • Pain in the shoulders, neck or back

How to Reduce Eye Strain from Digital Screens

There are some things you can do to reduce some of the eye strain that usually accompanies watching TV or movies.  The farther you sit from the screen, the better.  In fact, it’s best to stay 8 to 10 feet from the screen if possible (or more, if the screen is very large).  Also, try to have at least some light on while watching, to avoid the extreme eye fatigue that can occur in very dark rooms.  Additionally, it’s always a good idea to give your eyes a break every once in a while.  For instance, look away from the screen every 30 minutes or so, and close your eyes frequently to allow them to rest a bit.

Vision Therapy for Digital Eye Strain

Digital eye strain, also known as computer vision syndrome, can often be successfully treated with vision therapy treatments. After extended periods of time using a digital screen, some people may experience continued problems with their vision.  In particular, blurred vision, tired eyes or neck pain may begin to worsen.  Also, current vision conditions such as farsightedness, astigmatism or presbyopia could become more serious after continued screen use. Through a series of precise vision therapy eye exercises, our patients can often recover normal visual skills.

Contact us at 630-862-2020 to learn more or visit us online for additional information about the dedicated team at Family Vision Development Center.

 

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