Dallas County Living Well Magazine Summer 2014 | Page 23

Key-Whitman Eye Center
Key-Whitman changes lives.

The Importance of Preventative Eye Care

Preventative care can help prevent many eye
conditions with permanent and damaging effects. In
this respect, the health of your eyes is no different
from your overall health. Many times, patients with
eye conditions don’t know there is a problem until
they experience vision loss or until problems are
discovered in an eye exam. The American Academy
of Ophthalmology recommends a comprehensive eye
exam every 12 months for all adults after the age of
50, and more frequently if any eye conditions such as
glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic
retinopathy are present. Even though many of these
eye conditions are genetic or age-related, preventative
care can slow the damaging effects and prevent
potential vision loss.
Here are a few things you can do to help maintain
your eye health.

1. Follow your doctor’s recommendations about
checkups and medications.
2. Eat a diet rich in vitamins and minerals.
Some nutrients such as Vitamins B, C and E,
carotenoids, zinc, magnesium and Omegas 3
and 6 fatty acids can work to protect
your vision.
3. Exercise and follow a healthy diet to maintain
weight and keep blood sugar levels within
normal ranges. Conditions such as uncontrolled
diabetes can lead to permanent damage to
the retina.
If you notice sudden vision changes or vision loss,
call your ophthalmologist immediately. Due to fear,
some people wait to see if these symptoms will go
away on their own. However the best chance for
improvement is to have your condition evaluated and
treated at early onset.