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July 2019

Eye Health

Eating right protects your sight Slip on some shades to The choices you make when filling Bell peppers, your plate may have a positive strawberries, protect your impact on the health of your eyes. broccoli, and Sunglasses are more than a stylish fashion Eating foods containing vision cantaloupe: They accessory. They also play an important role supporting nutrients won’t allow you contain vitamin C, in health. to throw away your , but this an antioxidant that lowers Ultraviolet rays from the sun can damage practice may help prevent conditions risk. your eyes and increase your risk for that impact your sight. Carrots, sweet developing , but a pair of Make sure your diet includes these potatoes, and sunglasses can provide protection. foods that support eye health: apricots: Orange- Your best bet is to wear sunglasses that colored fruits and block 99 percent of UVA and UVB rays. The Leafy greens: vegetables have Spinach, kale, and sunglasses should wrap around the side of high levels of beta-carotene. This your face; the wraparound style keeps the collard greens form of vitamin A helps with night contain lutein and UV rays from sneaking in and also protects vision and can slow the progress of the tender skin around your eyes. zeaxanthin, which . may protect the eyes from damage An effective pair of sunglasses doesn’t need caused by sunlight. They also Eggs: Egg yolks to break your budget. Even inexpensive styles contain vitamin C (helpful in cataract are packed with that block UVA and UVB rays will provide prevention) and vitamin E (good for vision-supporting protection and reduce your cataract risk. protecting cells from damage that vitamins. They increases the risk of cataracts and contain lutein age-related macular degeneration). and zeaxanthin as well as zinc, which helps your body use these Salmon, tuna, eye-friendly vitamins. Lutein and and halibut: The zeaxanthin are especially good for omega-3 fatty acids your eyes because they have a in these fish help yellow-orange color that blocks blue your work light (which can damage the ). properly. Other sources of omega-3 In addition, eggs have vitamin A, fatty acids include walnuts and flax. which protects the .

Eye disorders A healthy diet can help prevent eye conditions such as: : This disease damages the . Macular degeneration: Central and sharp vision is affected as the center of the retina deteriorates. Cataracts: Cloud the eye’s , leading to vision loss. Diabetic : High blood sugar levels damage the retina’s blood vessels, impairing vision.

Copyright 2019 J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. • (800) 327-6868 • JJKeller.com Computers not so easy on the eyes When we look at a computer Get rid of glare. Position your monitor so screen, our brain may be in high windows are not directly in front of it or behind gear but apparently our are it. Adjust window blinds or use a matte screen taking a break. filter. A person looking at a screen tends Light it right: The eyes work harder when the to blink less than when reading screen is much brighter than the surrounding something on paper or blink light. Adjustments to room lighting and incompletely more often. This is why increasing contrast on the screen can help. spending much of the day in front of a computer can lead Also try using a full spectrum light bulb in overhead lights, to . rather than a regular fluorescent that emits blue light which The condition, also called Digital , can bring can make it tougher for the eyes to focus. symptoms such as: Tear up: Use artificial tears to moisten eyes • Dry eyes, • , and when they feel dry. A desktop humidifier can • Eye strain, • Blurry vision also help. To ease these symptoms, try making a few adjustments: Take a break: Every 15 to 20 minutes, look Don’t get too close. When you’re looking at away from the computer. Try the 20-20-20 rule: something close up, your eyes are working Every 20 minutes, look about 20 feet ahead for harder than when you’re looking at things 20 seconds. that are far away. The American Academy Be aware: Recognize that you’re probably not of suggests placing a monitor about 25 blinking as often as usual when you’re in front inches, or an arm’s length, away from you. Your gaze of a computer screen. Try to blink more often to should be slightly downward. keep eyes moist.

Why get your eyes checked? By the numbers A regular eye exam is important because: of adults in the U.S. • It improves the chances of being found at an early stage — when Almost half have not had a dilated eye exam treatment is most effective. Some eye diseases have no symptoms at first. in the past two years. • Your eye doctor may see signs of high blood pressure or diabetes. You can follow As the population ages, the up with your primary care doctor about the conditions. number of people in the United • If you have diabetes, an eye exam can detect , a complication States who are blind or visually of diabetes can that lead to vision loss. impaired is expected to double The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by 2030. recommends that a person with diabetes get an eye exam Source: Centers for every year and those who are high risk for glaucoma have an Disease Control and exam every two years. Your health care provider can offer more Prevention (CDC) information about when you should have an exam.

Eye exam may one day detect Alzheimer’s A new imaging device that can see blood vessels in the back of the eye that are smaller than a human hair may one day Next month: help spot signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Eating Right/ Researchers at the Duke Eye Center (a Duke University Nutrition Hospital specialty clinic) found that these blood vessels are altered in patients with Alzheimer’s. They used optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) technology to see the blood vessels. The study was published in the journal Ophthalmology Retina. J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. Given the study’s results, the use of precise imaging of the eye may one day 3003 Breezewood Lane, P.O. Box 368 allow Alzheimer’s to be more easily detected in the early stages. Neenah, Wisconsin 54957-0368 “Publishing & Services Since 1953”

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