How to Keep Your Eyes Healthy

How to Keep Eyes Healthy
Unless they wear glasses or already have an eye ailment, very few people proactively think about how to maintain their eye health. Taking care is especially key for women, who are more likely than men to suffer from cataracts, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. Many of the most effective vision-preserving strategies are simple lifestyle changes, among them wearing the right sunglasses (which helps prevent cataracts) and not smoking. Two-thirds of the world's blind or visually impaired are women; we are twice as likely to get macular degeneration, two to three times more likely to suffer from dry eye, and get more autoimmune diseases, which can affect the eyes.

While you may not be able to avoid an autoimmune disease, you can do a great deal to avoid or ameliorate other problems. The years between 20 and 50 are key for protecting your eyes.

To test your "eye-Q" and learn what works best, answer the following questions.

Veggies for Your Eyes
Evidence suggests that eating right promotes eye health. Be sure your diet includes plenty of red, orange, yellow, and green vegetables and fruits, such as cantaloupe, spinach, bok choy, sweet potatoes, broccoli, kale, bell peppers, mangoes, and papayas. And yes, carrots. All are rich in antioxidants, such as vitamins A (beta-carotene) and C. One study found that eating spinach lowers the chance of developing macular degeneration. Vitamin E, another antioxidant, is important, too, so include nuts and wheat germ in your diet.

Exercise wards off obesity, thereby reducing the chance of getting diabetes, which can harm eyes. And don't smoke: It triples the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.