For those of us with healthy eyes, vision is one of our most leaned-on senses. It may also be one we take for granted, as your eye health might not be something you think about often if you don’t have glasses or contacts. Whether you have known vision issues or not, there are several reasons why it’s important to prioritize your eye health, as your vision has implications for the health of your body as a whole. Here, we dive into the reasons to visit an optometrist even if you don’t wear glasses, why eye health is important and how you can support your eye health today.
Family History of Dementia
Our eyes give our brain a lot of information about what’s around us, so their relationship is strong. Research has found that eye health might also be an early indicator of dementia and cognitive decline.
In a study where researchers followed more than 12,000 adults ages 55 to 73 for 11 years to see if there was an association between systemic diseases—including diabetes, heart disease and depression—eye disease, and dementia risk, they found that those who had both a systemic condition and age-related macular degeneration had the highest risk of dementia. Compared to those who did not have any eye disease, those who had age-related macular degeneration had a 26% increased risk, those with cataracts had an 11% increased risk and those with diabetes-related eye disease had a 61% increased risk.
There is also evidence of a connection between people with color deficiency—also known as color blindness—and Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment. And it’s been found that uncorrected vision loss may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. However, early identification can help prevent eye diseases from getting worse and increasing your risk, so it’s worth a preventive visit to your eye doctor, especially if dementia runs in your family.
Diabetes
One common complication that can come from diabetes is called diabetic retinopathy. This happens when the capillaries that carry blood to your retinas— the light-sensitive layer of tissue in the back of the eye—get damaged from high levels of blood glucose. In many cases, the early stages of diabetic retinopathy do not have symptoms, so you might not notice any changes. However, over time, untreated diabetic retinopathy can lead to fluid accumulation in your eyes, glaucoma and even retinal detachment. If you have any type of diabetes, get ahead of any potential complications by making yearly trips to the optometrist.
Pregnancy
There are many changes that happen to your body when you are pregnant. This can carry over to your eyes, too. Pregnancy-related vision changes may be attributed to fluid retention, increased blood volume, hormonal fluctuations and more.
One common symptom associated with pregnancy is called dry eye. Symptoms of dry eye include a burning sensation, blurred vision, redness, a scratchy feeling or lots of tears in your eyes. While dry eye is usually temporary, there is no need to suffer through the discomfort. Your eye doctor can help you find relief through treatment like eye drops or other strategies.
Excessive Screen Time
Many of us spend more than the recommended amount of time looking at screens. While there isn’t a hard-and-fast rule about how much is too much, many American adults spend more than 7 hours per day using a screen. While it might be hard to avoid, especially if your job requires you to use a computer, it can negatively impact your eye health, including causing eye strain. While this can look different for each person, it can include dry eyes, blurry vision, tearing or watery eyes and headaches.
If you spend the majority of your day looking at a screen, it could be worth a trip to the eye doctor to check in on your eye health and get tips for reducing eye strain.
Vision Changes
If you have experienced any changes in your vision or in the way your eyes feel, it is best to schedule an optometrist appointment ASAP. Seeing an eye doctor is the best way to identify what the change might be from and if it warrants any specific course of treatment. If you have a family history of eye disease or chronic illness, regular optometrist visits are the way to go, even if your vision seems okay right now.
Why Is Eye Health Important?
We take in a lot of information about the world through our vision, so customized eye health is important to keep our bodies and minds at their best. Eye diseases are very common, with about 11 million Americans over age 12 needing vision correction. That said, they can often go unnoticed for a long time. You have likely heard the stories of people who thought they had perfect vision—until they tried their first pair of glasses and realized what they were missing.
Beyond altered vision—often called refractive errors—there are several other common eye diseases where early treatment is critical in preventing permanent vision loss or blindness. Some of these common diseases include cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma and amblyopia. Only an eye doctor can identify eye diseases, even in the absence of symptoms, through a comprehensive dilated eye exam. For this reason, regularly seeing your optometrist is crucial for eye health.
How You Can Support Eye Health
There are several things you can do to support healthy vision. Eating a healthy, varied diet filled with foods that support vision is a great place to start. This means including plenty of nutrient-rich plants—fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains and legumes. And while carrots have traditionally been crowned the top eye-health veggie, numerous other foods should be included, too—like sweet potatoes, eggs, oysters, almonds, oily fish, leafy greens, almonds, papaya and beans.
Regular physical activity supports eye health, in part, by increasing blood flow. If you’re heading outdoors, wear your sunglasses. And make sure you’re wearing eye protection for sports and work activities that pose a risk to your eyes.
If you use a computer for work, take breaks—even if it’s just looking away from the screen now and then. And position your screen at arm’s length and slightly below your line of vision. Some experts recommend using the 20-20-20 rule to help prevent eye strain: Take 20-second breaks to view objects 20 feet away after 20 minutes of screen use.
The Bottom Line
Your eye health is an important part of your overall health—both mental and physical. For this reason, it is worth a trip to the eye doctor even if you don’t wear glasses or use any vision aids. If you have a family history of eye disease, dementia or chronic illness, regular checkups can help you stay ahead of problems before you even experience symptoms. Additionally, if you have diabetes, are pregnant or look at screens all day, it could be worth a checkup too.
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