Ageing and your eyes

Is your eyesight worse than it was 20 years ago? Do you have problems reading text close up? Do you have trouble seeing well enough to do everyday tasks like reading, cooking or sewing? If your answer to any of these is yes – then you are not alone.

50% of the population over 75 years have age-related eye problems such as cataracts, macular degeneration or glaucoma, but, and this is the good news, researchers and clinicians have found that the majority of these can be prevented and the rate of deterioration slowed, through specific dietary and lifestyle changes. I will share with you what these are!

The research tells us that someone is more likely to develop age-related eye problems when their body is repeatedly exposed to high levels of free radicals (the damaging chemicals created during periods of stress and exposure to smoke, ultraviolet light and environmental toxins) and when their own supply of antioxidants, the dietary substances that help to neutralise free radicals, are low. This imbalance, along with genetic considerations is at the heart of most chronic disease and age-related eye problems.

If you did answer yes to the questions at the start of this article and/or are concerned about your eye health, my advise is for you to take action today – as modern day treatments, plus natural approaches can prevent a deterioration and even reverse the problem.

Four steps to Good Eye Health.

Step 1: Visit an eye specialist

Your GP can arrange this for you. You need to come away with a diagnosis, an understanding of what it is and what the treatment options available to you are. The four most likely conditions that youwill be diagnosed with, are:

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) – is the slow breakdown & deterioration of the macula cells, a small yellowish area in the central part of the retina which is responsible for visual sharpness & central vision.
Cataract – is a clouding of the lens, the part of the eye that allows light to come in. It affects more than 50% of people over the age of 65 and is a common cause of a deteriorating vision.
Diabetic retinopathy - is a potentially blinding complication of diabetes that damages the eye’s retina that affects up to half of all British people diagnosed with diabetes. It occurs when diabetes damages the tiny blood vessels in the retina.
Glaucoma - is a group of diseases read more