Avoiding Poor Eyesight and Macular Degeneration Through Healthy Living

The human body is known to have five senses, including vision. For many, nothing is more important than preserving their eyesight, and there are a several ways and steps we take to do that. Did you know that 75 percent of Americans believe that their vision is the most important sense? Eighty percent of what we take in is because of our vision, and many of us expect our vision to worsen as we age. But there are tips that can prevent our eyesight from going bad for years to come!

Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily as they contain nutrients essential for vision, including Vitamin A and E.

Avoid fried foods. Yes, those French fries most of us love are loaded with something called 'free radicals' and these radicals reduce our ability to retain antioxidants, which are widely believed to fight vision loss.

Multivitamins help, especially when they have Vitamin A, Vitamin C and E.

Wear glasses? Be sure to have some that block out ultraviolet radiation!

When outside wear a hat with at least a three inch brim to shade your eyes.

Stop smoking! Smoking increases the risk of vascular disease and constricts the blood vessels in the body and the eyes.

Avoid excess amounts of alcohol. While some alcohol can actually help your vision, excess amounts can be detrimental. People who drink alcohol do not have a balanced diet, and therefore, starving their body literally of the nutrients needed for healthy vision. The general consensus is having one glass of wine a day; preferably red wine because it is high in antioxidants, can actually avoid macular degeneration. However, having more than one glass puts you at risk for intoxication which in turn causes short term damage to your eyes (i.e. night blindness and double vision).

Exercise! Exercising gives you energy and has been shown to prevent age related macular degeneration.

Eat fish. Yet another reason to add fish to our diet, fish has the omega-3 fatty acid that aids in the prevention of macular degeneration. Don't like fish? Then try to take fish oil supplements.

Receive routine eye wellness visits. This is very important; however, as many Americans are underinsured or uninsured and visits to your eye doctor sparse. There are organizations devoted to helping the uninsured and underinsured receive the best possible eye care. One such organization is called The National Eye Institute. While this Institute does not pay for eye care; they direct you to various programs that are funded federally and by the state. Whatever your needs are this Institute can help you.

Imagine one day you wake and your vision is blurred and you know it is not because you drank excessively the evening prior. This is the first sign of macular degeneration. The tips listed above will help to preserve your vision only if you implement them. If you already have vision problems, these tips can help to maintain the eyesight you have and retain it for many years.