Mayo Clinic Health Manager
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By Mayo Clinic staffAlthough you can't prevent presbyopia, you can help protect your eyes and your vision. Here's how:
- Have your eyes checked. Regardless of how well you see, have your eyes checked regularly for problems.
- Control chronic health conditions. Certain conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, can affect your vision if you don't receive proper treatment.
- Recognize symptoms. Sudden loss of vision in one eye, sudden hazy or blurred vision, flashes of light, black spots, or halos or rainbows around lights may signal a serious medical problem, such as acute glaucoma or stroke, or some other treatable retinal condition, such as a retinal tear or retinal detachment. See your doctor immediately if you experience any of these symptoms.
- Protect your eyes from the sun. Wear sunglasses that block ultraviolet (UV) radiation. This is especially important if you spend long hours in the sun or are taking a prescription medication that increases your sensitivity to UV radiation.
- Prevent eye injuries. Wear protective eyewear when playing sports, mowing the lawn when painting or using other products with toxic fumes. Look for "ANSI Z87.1," a national standard of effectiveness in protecting against injury, on the lens or frame.
- Eat healthy foods. Try to eat plenty of fruits and leafy greens and other vegetables; these foods generally contain high levels of antioxidants as well as vitamin A and beta carotene. They're also vital to maintaining healthy vision.
- Use the right glasses. The right glasses optimize your vision. Having regular exams will ensure that your eyeglass prescription is correct.
- Use good lighting. Turn up or add light for better vision.
References
- Optometric clinical practice guideline: Care of the patient with presbyopia. American Optometric Association. http://www.aoa.org/documents/CPG-17.pdf. Accessed March 11, 2009.
- Eye exams. Eye care America: The Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://www.eyecareamerica.org/eyecare/treatment/eye-exams.cfm. Accessed March 11, 2009.
- Adult vision: 41 to 60 years of age. American Optometric Association. http://www.aoa.org/x9453.xml. Accessed March 11, 2009.
- Learning about LASIK. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/lasik. Accessed March 11, 2009
- Pepose, J. Maximizing satisfaction with presbyopia-correcting intraocular lenses: The missing links. American Journal of Ophthalmology. 2008;146:641.
- Questions and answers about refractive errors. National Eye Institute. http://www.nei.nih.gov/CanWeSee/qa_refractive.asp. Accessed March 11, 2009.