Today, a specialist from the Kyiv Center for Eye Therapy and Microsurgery - https://kctg.com.ua/ will talk to us about how to protect your vision. There are professions that require serious strain on the eyes, so the vision of such people deteriorates over time. For example, in Turkey, little girls have been making carpets since childhood, the cost of which can reach several tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars. It takes several years to make such a carpet.
During this time, the girls' vision deteriorates greatly. In our country, child labor is not exploited, but very often children suffer from vision problems. The reason for this: studying at school, smartphones, computers, televisions and more. As for adults, they also damage their vision simply because they do not think about the consequences.
Reminder on how to preserve your eyesight
In order for the clarity of vision to be preserved until old age, you need to take note of a set of basic rules. You need to adhere to them daily.
Let's look at some basic tips on how to preserve your eyesight :
- get a good night's sleep. A healthy person requires seven to nine hours of sleep for a good night's rest. The most beneficial sleep lasts from 22-23 pm to 6-7 am. Due to insufficient sleep, disturbances in the functioning of the optic nerve may appear, and because of this, the quality of vision will decrease;
- It is not recommended to watch TV in a dark room. You should at least install a night light;
- When reading literature in the evening, there must be several sources of artificial light. Using one light bulb in a dark room puts excessive strain on the eyes;
- take breaks from working at the computer or while reading for a long time;
- Reading while driving in a car or public transport is prohibited. If you really want to read, you can use an audiobook;
- do not squint your eyes - with such a movement the muscles are under strong tension;
- walk more in nature. This helps relieve fatigue not only in the eye muscles, but throughout the body;
- do special exercises for the eyes;
- quit smoking and minimize alcohol consumption;
- eat foods with large amounts of carotene, vitamin C and E;
- undergo periodic examinations with an ophthalmologist.
The above recommendations are basic, but they are not enough for a clear understanding of how to preserve vision . Let's look at this issue in more detail.
Deterioration in the quality of vision in mature people is a common problem. We are accustomed to perceive this as an inevitable consequence of time and with age-related natural fatigue not only of the visual organs, but of the entire body.But this doesn't mean that people over 45 should just wait until they lose their vision, because there are many ways you can significantly improve your vision.
Taking care of your eyes starts with developing good habits. Self-monitoring and simple procedures to keep the eyes in good shape are essential to preventing problems in older adults and can significantly slow down or even prevent the development of some diseases. Therefore, it is worth remembering that even trivial everyday activities performed regularly are the key to healthy eyes.
Moisturized eyes are the key to health!
First of all, we must take care of the appropriate humidity of the room in which we are located. Older people are more likely to suffer from dry eye syndrome because they physiologically produce fewer tears. For this reason, they complain of burning, discomfort when blinking, a feeling of “sand” under the eyelids, etc. Dry eye syndrome can affect up to 35% of the world's population, which shows how widespread this problem is. In addition to a humidifier, a good solution is to regularly use moisturizing eye drops, preferably with hyaluronic acid, which will soothe and regenerate the outer tissue of the eyeball.
Modern dangers Older people who actively use computers and smartphones should remember that electronic devices contribute to visual fatigue and can aggravate existing problems. For this reason, remember to maintain a safe distance from the computer (at least 50 cm!) and try to look away from the monitor every few minutes. This procedure will weaken accommodation and bring relief to tense eyeballs.
Light and gymnastics A common mistake is the lack of proper lighting, not only while working with a computer, but also while reading. When using electronic devices in the evening or at night, we must take care of an additional source of light - turn on the lamp or better move the work to the morning or daylight hours: daylight helps with reading and does not burden the eyes. Eye exercises are also recommended to help keep our eyes in shape. We try to keep our bodies in good condition, but we often forget that our eyes also need training to stay in shape for longer. Simple exercises performed regularly relax and relieve eye fatigue and strengthen the muscles of the eyeballs. So what exercises are you doing? There are many options, you can start by drawing eights, waves and circles with your eyes closed.
When something is wrong Sometimes, despite regular exercises to strengthen the eyes, proper nutrition and plenty of exercise, alarming symptoms appear that interfere with normal functioning. These may include spots, flashes, or temporary blurred or limited vision. If you observe such symptoms, you should immediately consult an ophthalmologist, as they may be the first symptoms of a serious illness.
Glaucoma is a disease of civilization . According to statistics, 68 million people worldwide suffer from glaucoma. This is a very sad picture, since we live in an era of development of medical sciences and inventions. In addition to genetic predisposition and elevated cholesterol levels, older age is one of the most important risk factors for blindness. Most often, its cause is too high intraocular pressure, which puts pressure on the optic nerve and leads to ischemia and, as a result, death. The disease does not produce any symptoms for a long time and is often detected only when the patient complains of significant vision loss. Unfortunately, at this stage, glaucoma is already very advanced, and the only way to protect the optic nerve from complete degeneration is immediate surgery.
Cataract is a silent enemy This is an insidious disease because it develops painlessly and is almost asymptomatic. It most often occurs in people over 60 years of age, although recently the number of people suffering from this disease has been increasing in people between the ages of forty and fifty. Cataracts are characterized by the opacity of the lens of the eye, and cause the patient to see the world “behind the fog.” A person may complain of deterioration in the quality of vision in bright light and problems with assessing distance. Fortunately, cataract surgery can be done effectively. This operation is simple and rarely leads to complications.
JP. How to prevent it? Obese people with atherosclerosis and heart disease are more likely to develop macular degeneration, called macular degeneration. The most characteristic symptoms are deterioration of central vision while maintaining peripheral visual acuity. For this reason, patients have problems recognizing faces and other objects.
Presbyopia, what is it? Fortunately, not all vision problems necessarily indicate one of these diseases. The most common problem reported by older adults is increasing difficulty recognizing text when reading. This condition is called presbyopia and refers to the natural aging process of vision. The shell of the eye, which until now was soft and could change its shape depending on the distance of the observed objects, lost the ability to “adapt” with age. The lens of the eye becomes more rigid and can no longer easily respond to the changing position of objects, and therefore adapt visual acuity to current conditions. Presbyopia, also called presbyopia, does not require treatment,
Don't experiment with your health! Presbyopia requires correction of different areas of vision - for comfortable vision, two pairs of glasses are needed: one for near and one for distance, or one pair of progressive lenses. Many patients forget that there are so-called progressive lenses, which include correction zones that provide ideal vision at any distance. Modern progressive lenses are a very convenient solution, especially since the use of modern technologies allows for complete personalization. Personalization and individual adaptation to the user's needs can only be achieved by visiting a professional optical salon. The ophthalmologist will provide the necessary information, based on which you can choose the option that is right for you.
Regular monitoring for the eyes of older people Older people tend to downplay their vision: they wear glasses of the same strength for years, buy glasses at the markets and wait for an endless visit to a specialist. And yet, only a visit to an ophthalmologist who will reliably diagnose a vision defect makes it possible to detect and stop existing diseases. Taking care of your eyes as an adult is especially important, because without self-monitoring and regular visits to the ophthalmologist, the chances of maintaining good vision are significantly reduced, and even a small defect that is not detected in time can turn into a serious problem in the future.
The importance of light for the eyes and the choice of sunglasses
Light starvation occurs in those people who spend little time outdoors. And the sun's rays have a beneficial effect on the clarity of vision and increase the level of its acuity. In bright sunlight, the pupil constricts to protect vision. When a person wears UV protection glasses, the pupil remains dilated and allows ultraviolet light to pass into the retina. UV protection glasses must be of high quality and have UF filters. Their purchase must be made exclusively in optical stores. For some patients, ophthalmologists recommend wearing such glasses during the day if ophthalmological ailments, a high level of photosensitivity, etc. are detected.
How to protect your eyesight?
You just need to follow the basic rules, thanks to which you can maintain visual acuity for many years. For example, you cannot read in the dark or lying down for too long a time. You cannot constantly look at the monitor or the screen of a smartphone or TV without interruption. You need to give your eyes a rest. Any painstaking work should be done in good lighting so as not to strain your eyes too much. As for children, all responsibility lies with their parents. It is parents who must control the time their children spend on the Internet, playing games, etc.
How to preserve vision until old age: reading rules
When reading literature, the body should be in an upright position, and the book should be located at a distance of thirty to forty centimeters. Two sources of artificial lighting are required, one of them being the top one and shining from the left. Electronic books are especially popular; reading them in the dark is not recommended. When reading for a long time, you need to take short breaks and look into the distance, do eye exercises, after which you can return to reading.
How to take care of our vision every day
Good visual hygiene is an important requirement for caring for our eyes. However, there are some myths that can be debunked.
It is not true that reading a lot spoils your eyesight. The eyes are designed to see, just like teeth are designed to chew or lungs are designed to breathe. But this does not mean that we do not need to take into account some rules to maintain good vision.
Working at the right distance from monitor screens, in the right position, with practical furniture and good lighting is the secret to learning more and better.
Visual hygiene practices focus mainly on those postural and ergonomic aspects that minimize eye strain, such as, for example, working distances from the monitor screen, good lighting or pattern/background contrast.
Vision hygiene
Tips for good visual hygiene in the office or while studying:
The room where classes are held must be well ventilated and high ambient temperatures should be avoided.
The main lighting should be on the ceiling and additional direct light on the desktop , which does not fall directly into the eyes, does not dazzle and creates shadows when writing. A room or hall should never be in the dark.
Reading text or writing paper should be placed on a flat surface located at an angle of 20 - 30 degrees from the table.
The desktop should be located in an open space , preferably in front of a window.
It is important to sit correctly : feet on the floor and a straight back.
The furniture must be suitable: the chair must be height adjustable to adapt to the workplace.
The ideal reading distance is approximately from the elbow to the first phalanx, when reading, the forearms should rest on the desktop.
Accompanying reading with head movement rather than eyes may be an indicator of vision problems . Reading is done using eye movements.
If possible, it is best to place the desktop in front of a window so that from time to time we can look into the distance.
When working at close range for a long time, it is necessary to pause, raise your head or change its position to avoid eye fatigue. It is important to take a two-minute break every thirty minutes of close-range work.
Avoid wearing contact lenses when doing homework or working at a computer for long periods of time. These are situations in which the frequency of blinking decreases, which can subsequently lead to intolerance to contact lenses. Dryness of the eyes may increase, which leads to discomfort in the future.
Vision hygiene
General visual hygiene recommendations for other daily activities:
The following rules help maintain good visual hygiene:
When watching TV, you should avoid reflections; It is not recommended to watch without light indoors, neither too close nor lying on the floor. The diet should be rich in vitamin A. It is important that hair does not fall in your eyes . It is necessary to use vision correction methods necessary for each daily activity (glasses or contact lenses) with appropriate graduations.
How to preserve and improve vision: nutritional habits
To maintain visual acuity, you need to saturate your body with essential vitamins, microelements and other nutrients.
List of products that help improve vision:
- It’s not for nothing that blueberries take first place on the list of healthy foods. It has a beneficial effect on the cellular restoration of the retina, improves visual acuity, and reduces eye fatigue;
- Potassium has a positive effect on the condition of blood vessels. It is found in large quantities in dried fruits, bananas and citrus fruits;
- lutein serves to protect the retina. Found in corn, carrots, persimmons, avocados, etc.;
- carotene is consumed with carrots, apricots, cherries, herbs, asparagus, spinach and eggplants;
- vitamin A is found in egg yolk and butter;
- sulfur is found in onions and garlic and helps improve vision clarity;
- taurine has a beneficial effect on fiber. It is found in black and green teas.
In order to preserve your eyesight, you need to eat fish, nuts, cereals, vegetable oils and dairy products.
How to preserve your eyesight when working at a computer and watching TV
When relaxing after a busy day, most people prefer to watch a good movie. However, the eyes become very strained at this moment. To minimize the harm from watching TV, you need to turn on bright light in the room.
You need to watch TV at a distance of at least 2–3 meters. However, it is advisable to calculate the distance depending on the size of the monitor. The larger the TV, the further away from it you need to be.
To preserve vision while working at a computer, you first need to install the monitor in the correct position: it should be directly in front of the person, glare and reflections should be avoided, as this interferes with concentration.
It is not advisable to spend more than four hours a day at the computer. It is recommended to take five-minute breaks every 30 minutes. If you need to work on the computer for about eight hours a day, then it is recommended to buy special glasses for the computer.
Computer games are also in demand among people who, after a hard day, want to relax and relieve stress, but this time is best spent on a walk, active games, going to the gym, etc.
Important! People who spend a lot of time in front of a screen during the day should not play video games in the evening as a means of relaxation.
How often should you have your eyes checked? What is dry eye syndrome? Important questions about eye health
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According to forecasts from the US National Eye Institute, by 2050 there will be almost twice as many people with cataracts, glaucoma and other common eye diseases as there were in 2010. Together with Systane® eye moisturizers, we answer important questions about how to take care of your eyes to avoid problems in the future.
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If a blood vessel bursts in the eye, should you worry?
It may look scary, but there is usually no reason to panic. One or more drops of blood on the white outer layer of the eye (sclera) is a consequence of subconjunctival hemorrhage. A tiny blood vessel bursts and bleeds, but the blood does not go anywhere, since the sclera is covered by a layer of transparent tissue (conjunctiva). Most often there are no other symptoms, but some patients may experience tingling sensations. This condition usually does not affect vision in any way. The cause of the hemorrhage cannot always be determined; it can occur even if you sneeze or cough heavily. In most cases, treatment is not required, and the effects disappear on their own within a couple of weeks. However, if hemorrhages begin to recur, it is important to consult a physician or ophthalmologist to rule out possible health problems.
Can vitamins improve vision?
You need to take vitamins only if your doctor has diagnosed a deficiency of vitamin A. It is involved in the functioning of retinal cells. But deficiency is extremely rare. Doctors usually recommend simply eating a balanced diet: eating more vegetables and fruits to reduce the risk of dry eye syndrome, cataracts and other diseases.
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Why are my eyes red at the end of the working day and it feels like sand has gotten into them?
Only a doctor can answer this question accurately. But usually a feeling of dryness, burning, redness, and temporary blurred vision that goes away with blinking are symptoms that indicate dry eye syndrome. Moreover, with age, the likelihood of its development increases. Doctors include running air conditioning, dry air and smoking (including passive smoking) as other risk factors. People who spend a lot of time at the computer often complain of dry eyes. While working at a computer, a person blinks less frequently and worse, and because of this, the cornea dries out.
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What is dry eye syndrome? Can it be cured?
This condition occurs when the eyes do not produce enough tears or they evaporate too quickly. For most people, dry eye syndrome does not cause serious vision problems. Lifestyle changes may be enough to manage discomfort and other symptoms. This includes not smoking or being in places where people smoke, wearing sunglasses, using a humidifier, and installing your computer monitor so that it is at eye level or slightly lower. In addition, doctors recommend the use of “artificial tears.” For example, Systane® Ultra drops, which are sold in bottles of 3 and 15 milliliters. The larger bottle can be used at home, and the small bottle can be carried with you.
Sometimes it is not possible to fully understand what exactly triggers the symptoms. Then dry eye syndrome is considered chronic, that is, one that requires constant treatment.
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What are “artificial tears”?
This is the name for eye moisturizers in the form of drops or gel. They contain substances that maintain the viscosity of the droplets and prevent evaporation of the liquid. In patients with dry eye syndrome, artificial tears reduce symptoms and may improve visual acuity. You can often notice improvement within a few days of starting treatment. But sometimes this takes up to three to four weeks.
Artificial tears contain a preservative. It prevents the growth of microbes inside the bottle. However, in some patients with dry eye syndrome, drops with preservatives may cause inflammatory reactions. In this case, doctors recommend drops without preservatives - they are intended for single use.
The Systane® line of eye moisturizers includes Systane® Ultra drops in single doses without preservatives. They are specially created for sensitive eyes and are available in individual tube-droppers, in a package - five monodoses.
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How often should you have your eyes checked if nothing is bothering you?
It is recommended that adults have their vision checked every two years. After age 40, some may need more frequent checkups, so it's best to discuss your schedule with your ophthalmologist, especially if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or a close family history of eye disease.
If my parents (or grandparents) have poor eyesight, will my eyesight be impaired too?
Not necessarily, but, for example, if one or both parents are nearsighted, then the child will most likely have poor distance vision. In addition, heredity increases the risk of developing glaucoma (if a brother, father or mother has the disease) and cataracts.
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They say that you shouldn’t use someone else’s mascara and you shouldn’t give your own to anyone? This is true?
Eye cosmetics (eye shadows, pencil, mascara) should not be shared even with your best friend or friend. It is important to follow this recommendation to reduce your risk of developing infectious diseases such as viral or bacterial conjunctivitis. For the same reason, you can test cosmetic products in a store only if sellers and buyers use disposable brushes and cotton swabs for these purposes.
It feels like I can't see well in the dark. Could this be true or is it just me imagining things?
Most people have trouble seeing in the dark, but some have great difficulty seeing at night or in dim light. This is not a disease in itself, but in some cases it can indicate certain vision problems, such as myopia. Therefore, it is important to consult an ophthalmologist if your vision fails, for example, it is difficult to walk along the street or drive a car at dusk.
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What should you do to maintain good vision for as long as possible?
There are a few simple tips that will help reduce the risk of developing eye diseases and are suitable for the prevention of many other diseases. Doctors advise not to smoke, eat more vegetables and fruits, wear sunglasses, and also maintain a normal weight. Obesity increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, which in turn can lead to retinal damage and subsequent vision loss.
The Systane® line of moisturizing eye drops consists of six products for people with dry eye syndrome, developed based on the original formula of Systane® eye drops. You can buy moisturizing drops, gel and monodoses of Systane® in Russian pharmacies.
There are contraindications, it is necessary to consult a specialist.
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