September is Healthy Aging Month, making it an ideal time to shed some light on an important issue that impacts millions as we age – our eyesight. With around 1.75 million people in the country having age-related macular degeneration, according to the National Institutes of Health, and another 2.2 million suffering from glaucoma, vision is a crucial issue as we age. The good news is that there are things you can do in order to help your eyes age healthily.
“Healthy eyesight is one of those things that people don’t pay much attention to until there is a problem,” explains Dr. Edward Kondrot, founder of the Healing The Eye & Wellness Center. “Ideally, it’s best to take measures to avoid those problems. Many of the problems people have with their vision as they age can be avoided, and even reversed.”
Regardless of one’s age, it is never too early or too late to do things to maintain healthy eyes. Here are 5 tips for doing just that:
- Be proactive. Those who do nothing to protect their vision may find they have problems as they age. Just like being proactive to have a healthy heart or mind, it is important to make healthy vision a priority. This means purposely including healthy vision measures in your lifestyle.
- Eat healthy foods. Diet plays an important role in maintaining one’s vision. It is important to eat plenty of antioxidant-loaded fruits and vegetables. They are nutritional powerhouses that will help to protect the eyes. Also, it is crucial to opt for organic foods, so that your body does not take in all the harmful chemicals. Those chemicals provide a toxic overload, which impacts the eyes, as well as the rest of the body.
- Stay hydrated. Many people who have eye problems are also dehydrated. Staying hydrated is essential to maintaining good eye health. Start each morning with a full glass of room-temperature water. Drinking things like tea and coffee do not count. Add a little lemon if you prefer, which will also help to flush toxins.
- Watch the shades. Millions of people have taken to wearing sunglasses, but may not be choosing ones that actually protect their eyes. Worse yet, they may choose some that actually weaken them. Dark sunglasses are not necessarily a good choice, as many may believe. When selecting sunglasses be sure to opt for those that block ultraviolet A and B light to really offer your eye protection.
- Reduce eye stress. People stress their eyes in ways that they are not even aware of, such as sleeping in a room that has a night light, or light coming from an alarm clock or another room. Another way people stress their eyes is to watch television in a dark room. Both of these things can provide unnecessary stress that can cause damage over time.
“Healthy aging of the eyes can be done and is being done by millions,” adds Dr. Kondrot. “It comes down to being aware of what will help and harm the eyes and then taking measures to do what will benefit them in the long run.”
Dr. Kondrot is the author of three best-selling books, including “10 Essentials to Save Your Sight” (Advantage Media Group, July 2012), and president of the Arizona Homeopathic and Integrative Medical Association. He has founded the Healing The Eye & Wellness Center, located just north of Tampa, Fla., which offers alternative and homeopathic routes to vision therapies known as the “Kondrot Program.” The program focuses on such conditions as macular degeneration, glaucoma, dry eye, cataracts, and others. His advanced programs have helped people from around the world restore their vision. The center sits on 50 acres of land and features a 14,000-square-foot state-of-the art complex, an organic ranch, jogging trails, swimming pool, hot tub, and more. For more information, visit the site at www.healingtheeye.com.