Ophthalmologist & LASIK Surgeon Serving Chicago, Lombard & Naperville Areas Of Illinois
Posted: September 13, 2017
September is Healthy Aging® Month—A time for celebrating getting older and identifying ways you can live a healthier lifestyle if you’re 45 or older. A balanced lifestyle can do more than maintain your overall well-being and increase the longevity of your life. It can significantly decrease your risk of vision loss or blindness from age-related eye diseases such as cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma.
You know it’s important to eat fruits and veggies, but it’s especially essential as you get older. Your diet is a reflection of your overall health, so eating a well-balanced diet will directly impact your body, including your eyes. Foods with Omega-3 Fatty Acids such as salmon and walnuts can alleviate dry eye syndrome and protect you from developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Lutein and zeaxanthin are also essential nutrients for ocular health. These proteins are found in your eyes as well as leafy, green vegetables, and they protect your macula from unstable molecules that destroy cells. Additionally, eating well helps you maintain a healthy weight, which decreases your risk of diabetes and eye diseases related to the condition.
If you’re a smoker, it’s never too late to quit. Smoking, especially as you get older, comes with nasty consequences including vision damage due to an increased susceptibility of AMD, cataracts and other eye diseases. Wearing sunglasses is another healthy aging habit that can stop harmful UV rays from reaching your natural eye lens. Make sure you purchase sunglasses that say “100% UV Protection.”
Healthy aging habits apply to how often you see your physicians including your eye doctor. You should have comprehensive dilated eye exams at least once a year depending on your age. You’ll need to have eye exams more often the older you are. These eye exams dilate your pupils to give our eye doctor, Dr. Foulkes, the ability to see the back of your eyes to identify eye diseases before they impact your vision.
Schedule your eye exam at Foulkes Vision in Lombard today at 630-724-1400 or fill out the form on this page. Dr. Foulkes serves patients in Chicago, Lombard, and Northeastern Illinois.