Maintaining Good Eyesight

Are you spending more time on your electronic devices lately? Do you wear sunglasses whenever you go outside? Is it getting more difficult to read that small print?

These are only a few of the questions we should ask ourselves as we talk about healthy eyes. Often, we don’t think about maintaining good eyesight until we have a change in our sight, like not being able to see fine print on a bottle or box very well or not being able to read road signs as clearly as we used to. Maybe you noticed other changes that just don’t seem quite right.

So, what should you do? Check out our top tips for how to keep your eyes healthy and how to promote eye health below.

How to Maintain Good Eyesight

The top thing you can do to keep your eyesight healthy and protect your vision is to get a comprehensive dilated eye exam annually. This is the only way to check for any eye issues early on when they’re easier to address. Even if your eyes feel healthy, you could have a problem so it’s good to check it out annually.

Lifestyle Tips to Support Eyesight

Wondering how to support eyesight? Let’s first examine something all of us should be doing right now – wearing sunglasses when we go outside. The sun’s rays can damage your eyes and raise your risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, both are conditions you probably want to avoid. Investing in a good quality pair of sunglasses that block out 99-100% of the sun’s UV-B and UV-A rays will help protect your eyes from this damaging radiation. Sunglasses aren’t just “cool” – they are beneficial – IF you select them properly. Your eye doctor may even be able to provide you with options that will fit your personal needs.

There are other lifestyle tips that can also provide benefits to your eyes. These include (but are not limited to):

1. Eating a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables (especially green leafy vegetables and deep orange and yellow vegetables)
2. Not smoking
3. Maintaining a healthy weight
4. Getting regular exercise
5. Giving your eyes a rest from electronic devices

Straining Your Eyesight

Speaking of electronic devices – are you spending more time looking at your cell phone, your tablet, or your computer? Some of us have jobs that require long hours working in front of an electronic device. Working from home has put many of us in front of our computers on video calls or meetings for extended periods of time. And have you noticed when you are out that more people are looking at their cell phones rather than at each other? We seem to be glued to our electronics. And more and more people are purchasing “smart” devices to facilitate our need for convenience.

A study done by Pewresearch showed that 97% of Americans own a cellphone with smartphone ownership up 35% since 2011! This doesn’t take into account how many Americans now own tablets and computers.

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/#panel-305d9a4e-2c6c-4194-86c6-9ab21ac76df0

It has been reported that the screen time for the average person in the United States is over 7 hours a day! Look around – almost everyone you see is either looking at their phone or on a computer or watching something on an electronic device. That’s a lot of blue light! Many of us work in front of a computer for our jobs or school, but we also spend a lot of time looking at our smart phones. This is not a trend that is going away any time in the near future.

Experts think digital eye strain affects about 50% of computer users and can include symptoms like irritated eyes or blurred vision. Blue light may also damage the retina of the eye. Blue light has also been linked to poor sleep, especially if electronics are used at night before going to bed. We probably all agree we are not going to get rid of our electronic devices. So, what are we to do for our eyes - and our eye health - if we continue to use all these devices?

Supplements for Eye Health

There are the standard supplements like Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Zinc, Copper, Lutein, and Zeaxanthin that are known to support eye health. And all these are supportive to eye health and are found in many products marketed for eye health. However, we can do better!

Fortunately for us all, there is an ingredient known as Lutemax® 2020 that is from Aztec marigold flower extract that has been studied and is shown to minimize eye strain from prolonged use of e-devices as well as support shielding eyes from blue light. And this ingredient is found in the Country Life Lutein supplement!

Each softgel contains 20 mg of Lutemax® 2020 and adding just one softgel to your supplement regime every day will provide your eyes with lutein and zeaxanthin – the main dietary carotenoids found in the human retina. Remember to always consult with your health care provider when making any changes to your current supplement regime.

It's still important to be proactive about maintaining your eye health and following the lifestyle tips previously noted - not just for eye health, but also for your overall health. And remember, supplements are in addition to a healthy diet and lifestyle and shouldn’t be considered a way to avoid the basics of a good diet!

Providing you with targeted nutritional supplements is the way Country Life can help you #PowerYourGreatness! Shop Lutein 20mg online.

Lutemax® 2020 is a registered trademark of OmniActive Health Technologies Ltd.