Look smart to save your sight

Eyesight is a precious gift that is too important to neglect...

Eye care is an aspect of health that is often over-looked. But considering how important good vision is to daily
life, there are no excuses for not taking care of your peepers.

There are a number of serious eye conditions that, if left untreated, can permanently damage your vision.

There are four common eye problems that people should be aware of.
One of the commonest problems (is) Pterygium, which is a fleshy growth on the inside part of the white of the eye..related to sunlight exposure. It can be largely prevented by the use of hats and sunglasses and it's treatable with surgery.

Another serious condition is cataracts, a cloudy "lens" over the eyes that mainly affects middle-aged and elderly people.

Fortunately, cataract sufferers can have their vision restored with day surgery, and many will not even need glasses afterwards. It's the most common operation in our community.

Perhaps the most serious common eye disease is glaucoma, which can cause permanent blindness if left untreated. It's a disease of the optic nerve, which is partly due to raised pressure in the eye and partly due to poor blood supply at the back of the eye.

In its early stages, it is largely asymptomatic and can be only detected by routine testing.
People need to be tested from the age of 40. It's a very strongly genetically determined disease and people should ask their relatives if they have had it.

Glaucoma is a controllable with eye drops and sometimes curable by surgery, but once the damage has occurred, it is permanent. It can cause side vision loss and then later blindness if not detected.

The fourth disease of concern is macular degeneration. It affects mainly old people and is also genetically determined in many cases, and a few years ago caused people to lose their central vision (reading vision) permanently.

Fortunately, new treatments can halt this in some people. If detected early, injections into the eye can stop the abnormal blood vessels growing. Knowing how to detect an eye abnormally can save long term damage, as well as being aware of your family history.

The first thing people can do is have regular checks for glaucoma, which is the thief of sight that creeps up without you knowing.

Glaucoma has no symptoms, so if it's in your family history, you have to get checked. Being aware of conditions that can harm the eyes is the first step to preventing permanent damage. Exposure to UV rays can cause eye damage while smoking is strongly related to macular degeneration. Eating well can help maintain good vision.

Eat lots of green leafy vegetables, orange-colored vegetables and fish, as well as a handful of nuts a week.