You’re getting older. And, your eyes aren’t what they used to be. I have noticed a slow decline in my sight over the years and, to say the least, it is frightening since so much of what I do depends on my ability to read.
It’s a common problem. It happens to most of us. A condition called presbyopia makes it so that it’s harder for us to read books and pretty much anything close up. It happens because, as we age, our lens in our eye becomes less flexible.
The human eyeball is naturally relaxed when looking at objects off into the distance. In order to focus up close, the eye must contract muscles to elongate the eye and focus light onto the retina. This creates a slightly elongated or football shape in the eye or a steeper cornea.
But, as we get older, our ability to adjust the lens of the eye decreases, so we’re less able to look at things close up. The lens becomes less flexible, more rigid, and we need to wear reading glasses.
LaserEyeSurgeryHub.co.uk has a fix for this, however, and it’s called LASIK surgery. The surgery may be able to correct multiple problems, like myopia, presbyopia, and astigmatism.
During the procedure, a special laser cuts into the cornea. The doctor creates a flap. Then, a second laser reshapes the eye. The doctor replaces the cornea, and your vision is restored. For patients with presbyopia, you often choose between having better long-distance vision or better short-distance vision.
By age 50, many of us are resigned to the idea that we need to wear glasses. But, newer surgical techniques may eliminate that need.
According to a national health interview report in 2011, and reported by the American Foundation for the Blind, roughly 21.2 million Americans have significant trouble seeing adequately. This is even with eyesight correction, including corrective lenses.
Some are suffering with a total loss of vision.
The more acute conditions are mostly caused by age-related degenerative eye conditions. Such conditions as glaucoma, macular degeneration, and cataracts, as well as various inflammatory conditions like scleritis and retinitis may also cause the condition.
Surgery is usually a doctor’s preferred treatment plan and course of action as the surgery will usually eliminate the vision problem.
However, many people want to adopt a more natural approach first, and there are a few things you can try before seeing the doctor. The first is to change your diet. Eat a healthier diet consisting of high doses of vitamin A in the form of retinol (i.e. beef liver), as well as high doses of vitamin D from the sun. Combined, these two nutrients will go a long way towards preserving your eyesight.
You can also look into taking a fish oil supplement, which is correlated with preservation of eyesight.
Some research suggests that degenerative eye diseases are caused by free radicals and oxidation of eye structures. Almost all age-related diseases can be halted by adopting an anti-inflammatory diet, consisting of lots of fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and meat, especially organ meats.
But, remember, no dietary intervention is proven to treat or cure any degenerative disease. So, you should still consider going to your doctor for an evaluation, even if you choose not to undergo surgery or other corrective measures.
Melissa Berry enjoys her job as a medical receptionist immensely. She enjoys interacting with the public, as well as learning from the medical staff. In her spare time, in between raising her family, she enjoys writing for health blogs.
