21 “NEW” NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS FOR 2021

2020 has been quite a year, which makes getting a fresh start in 2021 feel super appealing. For some people, that might mean making a New Year’s resolution that helps them get the year started on the right foot. Although the traditional New Year’s resolutions usually last until the end of January, then you are back to your old habits again. Turns out, our brains are just not into making swift, sudden changes to our habits.

So instead of going for the typical diet, exercise, or financial overhaul-style resolution, why not try something a little different this year?

Here are 21 new New Year’s resolution ideas for 2021

  1. Try Something New Each Month – Who says your resolution has to be sticking to just one thing. As they say, “Variety is the spice of life.” Well, spice up your new year by setting a goal to try something new each month.
  1. Make monthly playlists – As you hear a song that impacts you or you find yourself listening to one repeat, add it to the playlist. The lists will be eclectic on their own, but by the end of the year, you will have an amazing collection of songs to pull from to create a yearly top songs playlist. You’ll enjoy the memories of looking back to each playlist and hearing the mood of each month of the year and all the new artists you discovered.
  1. Make Time for “Self-Care” – If you feel like you have tons of commitments that aren’t always for you, carve out some solid “me” time in the year ahead by trying a new hobby—or resurrecting an old one—such as cooking, making art, or reading a good book.
  1. Walk a Mile a Day – The thing about this New Year’s resolution is that you might already be doing it. This doesn’t mean go out for a specific walk or run for a mile or more each day, while that could be what you want to work towards. But to start, find a good pedometer, or a pedometer app for your phone (if it doesn’t already have one), and see if you can cumulatively walk a mile a day. For some of you, this is a breeze and you will need a little more of a challenge. Monitor your average mileage or steps over a week and make a challenge based on the results. For the rest of you, getting movement into your daily routine might be a little more foreign. Getting closer to your mileage goal is all about getting creative about how to get your steps in. Try parking at the back of the parking lot at the grocery store, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Take the long way to the break room for your water or coffee break. And then there’s always running in place or on a treadmill. Remember it all adds up and in no time you’ll be walking more than a mile a day.
  1. Stay in Touch – If there’s one thing 2020 has shown us, it’s that there is no excuse not to stay in touch with those we love. With so many ways to connect, from text, to email, to Zoom, to a good old-fashioned phone call, if we have to be apart, there are so many ways to get in touch. And another thing we’ve learned is how much a quick text from a friend or a short Facetime with a grandparent can go a long way toward helping us feel not so alone and fill us up with love. Go into this with a goal of connecting with 1-3 people per week.  Remember that reaching out to your favorite people will brighten their day, even if they can get back to you right away. Ultimately, the last thing you want for any of your friendships is to look down at your phone and see that the last text you sent was a year ago!
  1. New Hobby – Learning something new is always good or even going back to something old that you haven’t done in a while.  Try your hand at gardening. If you are worried about not having a green thumb, start with a small herb garden or a bed of perennials for your project. That doesn’t require much of a green thumb and is more about just keeping them watered. If you’re looking for something to keep your hands busy, try one of the many knitting or embroidery kits out there. That will help you to zone out. No one says you have to be a pro at the start, nor do you have to do it the hard way. Easing yourself into a hobby will help you stick with it and it may be an activity you will enjoy doing long term.
  1. Do Random Acts of Kindness – Is there a better feeling than to perform a random act of kindness for someone you love or someone in need? Remember the saying: you get more than you give. 
  1. Read More Books – Reading is one of the best ways to grow as a person. If you’re not an avid reader, try setting a realistic target such as to read 1 book a month. Or, try listening to recorded books—you can subscribe to Audible which has many free recordings every month.
  1. Drink more water – It’s always good to drink more water. The daily recommended water intake is 8 glasses.  I find that one of the best ways to drink more water is to keep a large bottle of water nearby at all times. 
  1. Send handwritten letters – This year has shown us all that we want is to stay in touch, and sure, you could send a text or an email, but why not step it up a notch and send something to brighten someone’s mailbox!  Start this goal simply by sending a few letters over a couple of months. Bonus: You can even make it a fun craft time with your kids!  
  1. Remove negativity or anything that makes you feel lousy – Remove things like sad movies or news sources that just upset you.
  1. Pay it Forward – 2021 is a great time to do something nice for someone else.  Maybe you’ll pay for someone’s coffee in the Starbucks drive-thru or buy a meal for a homeless person. If you receive good things, try to spread them, too.
  1. Sanitize your phone weekly or daily – We check our phones a million times a day, and if you’ve taken yours into the ladies’ room, you’re not the only one. But that means phones carry about 10 times as much bacteria as most toilet seats.  Use disinfectant wipes, such as Lysol wipes, which kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria. They don’t contain bleach, so they’re safe to use on smartphones and tablets.
  1. Declutter Your Space – A clean home is a happy home. Reduce anxiety and stress by tidying up and decluttering everything around you. Tackle the refrigerator, cabinets, messy drawers, desks, and closets. Toss everything you haven’t used in six months, donate what you don’t love or need, and get ready to celebrate the new year with new clarity and peace of mind.
  1. Manage Stress – Stress and anxiety can get left unnoticed for some time, and later manifest themselves in physical and emotional ways. Instead of waiting for them to rear their ugly heads, learn stress management and reduction techniques now. Some people meditate, others practice yoga, and many exercises to combat stress.
  1. Nurture True Friendships – Having many acquaintances is nice until you realize that a super-small portion of them will be there for you through thick and thin. Resolve to spend your precious energy on only those you care most deeply about—and those who reciprocate. True friendships are about quality, not quantity. 
  1. Give to Your Community – Whether you give back once or repeatedly, taking time to volunteer, and donating to charity organizations empowers us and opens us up to new experiences and opportunities.  Help research non-profits organizations that align with your interest and/or your spirit of giving.
  1. Monitor Social Media Use – Too much social media can be a bad thing—especially when you start comparing your real life to someone’s seemingly picture-perfect online life. Plan to take a step back this year, whether spending a day (or more) social media-free or simply reducing the number of times you check your apps in any one day.
  1. Stop Procrastinating – “Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”, a great quote by Mark Twain! Begin by taking a few minutes to make a list of the things you were going to do tomorrow—and yes, do at least one of those things today. Start imagining how you’ll feel if you actually tackled all the stuff you’ve been putting off. 
  1. Practice Gratitude – Most successful people practice gratitude to feel healthier, happier, and more at peace with themselves—and they do so daily. Fostering gratitude means writing down a few things you’re thankful for and why. You could also begin your days by vocalizing what you’re grateful for or meditate about those things for which you are grateful. Cultivating this habit in the new year can even help you sleep better and be kinder to others. 
  1. Spread Kindness – There’s actually scientific evidence that being kind makes you feel calmer, healthier, and happier—and it’s also contagious.  Make the world a better place by resolving to do one kind thing or more for a stranger every day or month. To help make it a daily practice, download a free Kindness Calendar.

Thank You for Your Gift to our Sight-Saving Research!

As we eagerly await 2021, we would like to thank all of our donors!

More money for research – that is the result of Discovery Eye Foundation’s successful fundraising efforts for 2020, and all because of very loyal and generous donors that continue to support eye research.

We are thankful for every gift you have given to the Discovery Eye Foundation!

We Wish You and Yours Health and Happiness in 2021!

SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS

Most of us are familiar with Currier & Ives Christmas prints. They depict scenes of togetherness, of family love shared in a holiday spirit full of Christmas giving and seasonal joy.  They suggest a pastoral world in which the angels of our best nature come forward and bring us together around a tree decorated with open hands and open hearts.

Because this writer is blind, I often have wondered what it’s like to see the glow on a child’s face on Christmas morning as they open gifts selected especially for them and brought with Santa’s love.  How beautiful it must be to look at those ornaments put away all year and then placed with a star on top of the special tree the family picked out a few days earlier.  Maybe if you’re lucky and live in colder climates there may be a Christmas morning with snowflakes and icicles that tingle in the frigid winter air. 

Our visual picture of Christmas sets just the right tone for love and sharing, bringing us together in a fundamental commitment of peace and love.  Certainly, I do feel a twinge of sadness knowing there’s so much I wish I could see.  I suppose it’s easy for all of you to take for granted the beauty depicted in those Currier & Ives prints, but at Discovery Eye we pledge to keep the season bright by supporting the research that allows you to experience all of the holiday joy.  We hope in this season of giving you’ll consider supporting our research that works every day to make the season bright. Click here to make a donation to the Discovery Eye Foundation Support DEF Here!

Merry Christmas to all and Happy Holidays!

Tom Sullivan
DEF’s Ambassador of Vision
sullivanvision.com

 

Thanksgiving Dinner for your EYES!

Thanksgiving is almost here; a meal that nourishes the family bonds and traditions.  It’s the one time of the year where you can guarantee your eyes will be bigger than your stomach. This meal also has another added bonus — almost every item on the Thanksgiving table is healthy for your eyesight!

Here are several of the most popular Thanksgiving dishes and their corresponding benefits to your eye health:

Turkey –

No Thanksgiving is complete without a turkey, roasted golden brown and stuffed with fresh vegetables and herbs. Turkey is loaded with zinc and B-vitamin niacin, which helps prevent the formation of cataracts. Cataracts are the leading cause of vision loss in the United States, so gobble up!  You are “preventing” cataracts with every bite.

 

Spinach, Green Bean Casserole, Asparagus and Brussel Sprouts –

These foods and other leafy greens are loaded with lutein and zeaxanthin, two nutrients that protect the retina, which may also help reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.  Healthy Green Bean Casserole Recipe

 

Sweet Potatoes –

Sweet potatoes are full of Beta-carotene, which is a carotenoid and antioxidant that promotes night vision and overall good eyesight. Sweet potatoes are also loaded with vitamins C and E. Diets that are rich in these vitamins can help prevent or delay the development of cataracts and macular degeneration. Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe

 

Cranberry Sauce –

Cranberries contain bioflavonoids, a large class of antioxidants. Bioflavonoids are found in the pulp, skin and rinds of foods that contain vitamin C. Both flavonoids and vitamin C help protect the eyes from free radical damage caused by pollution and the body’s normal metabolic processes.

 

Pumpkin Pie –

Pumpkin is one of the best sources of vitamin A, so pumpkin pie is an eye-healthy dessert. In fact, one cup of cooked, mashed pumpkin contains more than 200 percent of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin A. Vitamin A provides nourishment and protection to the eye’s lens, cornea and macula (part of the retina), so it improves night vision. 

 

A diet that’s full of the right nutrients is a great start to keeping your eyes healthy, but don’t forget that regular eye exams are equally important! We hope you enjoy a happy and delicious Thanksgiving with family and friends.

*For more eye healthy recipes click here EYE COOK

What To Expect On Your Next Visit To Your Eye Care Practitioner During COVID-19 Pandemic

Taking care of your health is critical and you may have concerns related to eye health as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The offices of Ophthalmologists and Optometrists are resuming the delivery of comprehensive eye and vision care and implementing new protocols to provide care in a safe and healthy environment.

While changes vary from state-to-state as well as individual practice locations, patients should expect that their eye doctors, like all medical professionals, are adhering to federal, state and local health directives regarding infection prevention measures and implementing appropriate safety procedures to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission within the office. These not only include strict protocols for cleaning and sterilization, but measures to effectively manage patient flow and encourage physical distancing. Patients should expect screenings for symptoms of COVID-19 and taking patients’ temperature upon their arrival at the facility, limiting the number of guests allowed in waiting rooms and requiring everyone to wear a facemask and/or gloves before entering the office.

Prior to the appointment, you should be asked a series of questions such as whether you have been diagnosed with COVID-19, whether you have been exposed to anyone who has an active COVID infection, and whether you have any of the typical symptoms of a COVID-19 infection including fever, cough, shortness of breath, or some impairment of your sense of taste or smell. You may also be asked about recent travel history. If there is a concern that you may have COVID-19 infection, then the appointment may be rescheduled to a later date.

Once you get to the office, you will be interviewed again to see if you have any symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 infection. You may be asked to have your temperature taken with a non-contact thermometer and to wash your hands or scrub your hands with hand sanitizer before entering the office. You may be asked not to bring any family members or assistants with you.

Every patient (and anyone accompanying the patient) is required to wear a mask, and the mask must be worn properly, covering both the nose and mouth. The mask must be worn through the entire visit, and conversations with the doctor or staff will be limited. The tests that are used to monitor glaucoma may be performed with modified protocols to minimize the time you spend at the office.

How to Prepare for Your Eye Doctor Visit

  • Don’t go if you’re feeling sick. If you wake up with a cough or a sore throat, it’s probably best to reschedule your appointment and call your primary physician. Your routine eye exam can wait. Don’t be surprised if someone takes your temperature upon arrival to ensure safety for everyone.
  •  Fill out forms in advance. If possible, fill out your intake forms online before your appointment. This will limit your face-to-face contact and your overall time within the office. Any additional information that’s requested by your doctor can also be done over the phone.
  • Follow social distancing guidelines. There may be new procedures in place to help with social distancing, from markers on the ground indicating where to stand, to a limited number of people allowed in certain areas. Depending upon the office location, you may need to call from your car to check in. Every office is different, so be sure to check with your doctor’s office about their requirements.
  • Go alone to your appointment. Most offices are only allowing the patient to enter the office, with the exception of those who require a caregiver or a guardian to attend the appointment with them. This limits the amount of people going in and out of the office, and helps maintain a more sterile, clean environment.
  • Wear a mask to your appointment. Depending on your state, a mask may either be mandated or highly recommended when you are in public places. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highly advises people to wear a mask covering their nose and their mouth in order to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

As your eye care doctors begin reopening and operations proceed under a “new normal,” your ophthalmologist and/or optometrist are working to ensure the continued safe delivery of essential eye care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To know exactly what to expect during your appointment, call your doctor’s office to find out how to best prepare for your visit.

How to Avoid Your Glasses from Fogging Up While Wearing a Mask

Leaving your house these days means a whole new normal.  Needing to make sure if you have your mask, your gloves, and hand sanitizer? Now because of masks, millions of eyeglass wearers are discovering the annoyance of mask-induced foggy lenses.

Why do glasses fog up in the first place?

Here’s the simple science behind it. When warm air hits a cool surface, condensation can form. When your warm moist breath escapes through the top of the mask, it hits the lenses of your glasses and causes them to fog up. While we can’t control what’s going on around us, the good news is, we can eliminate the foggy glasses problem. Here are a few helpful tips.
 

1. Wash your glasses in soapy water

Wash your glasses or sunglasses lenses with soapy water and shake off the excess moisture. Let your glasses air dry or gently dry the lenses with a clean microfiber cloth.

Using this method, the lenses shouldn’t fog up once you put on the mask and glasses because cleaning the lenses with soapy water leaves thin film. To avoid damage, don’t clean your lenses with products like toothpaste or shaving cream.

 

2. Make sure the mask fits well

When a face mask fits correctly, it should fit snugly against your face. You should not have air going out the top.  A loose-fitting mask lets exhaled air travel toward your glasses, but a snugly fitting mask can shoot that air out of the bottom or sides of the mask and away from your glasses.

If it feels too loose, you can adjust the ear loops or the ties so that the mask fits more snugly. If you feel any air going in or out of your mask, that’s another sign that it’s too loose and needs to be tightened.

For a better fit, use masks equipped with moldable pieces around the nose (such as a metal strip) or masks that come in various sizes.
 

3. Seal/tape your mask (carefully)

Going along the same lines as making sure your mask fits properly, another tip that doctors use is tape to prevent their glasses from fogging up. Be sure to test the tape on a different part of your body to make sure you are not allergic. If you don’t break out in hives or any other concerning symptoms, you can move on to taping your mask. You can use almost any kind of tape, but stay away from duct tape, and packing tape to be safe. Once you’ve found a safe kind of tape, you can tape your mask across the bridge of your nose, as well as across your cheeks.

One important thing to know is if the tape doesn’t work for you, it may be because of any anti-glare, anti-fingerprint, or anti-smudge coatings that you have on your glasses already. There are special antifog wipes for these anti-glare coated lenses (Hilco – OptiPlus Lens Wipes).
 

4. Tuck a small tissue into the mask

Attaching a small tissue to the inside of the mask will absorb moisture that otherwise would find its way to the lenses.  Place a folded tissue at the top of your mask and tape it there.
 

5. Adjust your glasses

If your glasses have nose pads, you can tweak the pads so that the frames sit slightly farther from your face, this will allow that hot air to escape instead of getting trapped between your face and the lenses of the glasses.

By altering the nose pads there may be a slight change in your vision if you wear glasses with progressive lenses or lenses with a strong prescription. If that happens, you might need to hold your head at a different angle to compensate for the vision change.
 

6. Use de-fogging products

Applying over-the-counter anti-fogging sprays, waxes and gels to your non-coated lenses before putting on your glasses can quickly disperse tiny fog droplets when you’re wearing a mask. Some work better with different body chemistry, so you may need to try a few brands to see which one works best for you. 

Do not use anti-fogging products made for cars or other purposes, as they may ruin your prescription lenses.
 

7. Breathe downward

Well, it might be awkward, but breathing downward can be a quick anti-fog fix, this sends the air away from your glasses. Breath downward by holding your upper lip over your lower lip. Then blow air downward, as if you’re playing a flute.
 

8. Check Out Anti-Fog Lenses

For a more permanent solution, you could consider buying lenses made with anti-fog coating that gives you a hassle-free answer to foggy lenses, regardless of whether the obstructed vision is triggered by a face mask or something else.

Where The Land Meets The Sea 

On Robert Louis Stevenson’s first visit to the Monterey Peninsula of California he was overwhelmed by its vistas and beauty.  He wrote to friends that what he had observed was the perfect confluence of land and sea.  

At this writing I am vacationing with my family in a home that sits on the very same beach that allowed Stevenson the awesome privilege of observing the horseshoe of Carmel Bay with Point Lobos rising out of the morning fog in the distance.  

My daughter Blythe holds binoculars up to her eyes and watches a family of otters play joyously in and out of the kelp.  They’re not alone.  My wife Patty is laughing as she checks out a group of sea lions in their own game of tag, and the sound of their barking makes me smile.  Later that day I’ll hear the appreciative ooh and aah of my family as they watch the sun knife its way into the ocean with its promise to rise again in the morning. 

We’ve had our dinner and my son Tom tells me about the stars that dot the sky.  “Dad” he says, “I wish you could see them.”  There’s the constant North Star that always serves sailors on a dark night along with the supporting cast of constellations lead by Scorpio.  I can hear the love in Tom’s voice when he again says, “I’d give anything if you could just look at all this beauty Dad.”   

I must confess that I’d like to wish on those stars and maybe have my vision for oh-let’s say-one day.  I think I’d start with the faces of the people I love and then move on taking in nature and all its glory.  It would mean so much if I could see the innocence of a beautiful child’s smiling face.  If I am lucky, there might be a rain shower followed by all the colors of a rainbow. 

I am not complaining, I’ve enjoyed a world of four senses that most of you never take the time to truly appreciate.  On this vacation I am on sensory overload with smell, taste, sound, and touch.  So again, let me reiterate that I am not complaining.  What I’ve come to understand is that sight is the dominant sense.  It offers all of you a perspective on the world that I can only imagine.   

So, the old chestnut really is true.  Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and at the Discovery Eye Foundation, our researchers work tirelessly every day to ensure that you and those you love have the chance to consider and appreciate all of the beauty that surrounds us. 

With your help our efforts will continue to preserve vision and eliminate blindness for people around the world. 

Donate today to help support the Discovery Eye Foundation! 

DonateNow

Tom Sullivan
DEF’s Ambassador of Vision
sullivanvision.com

Blinking – Why is it so important?

Blinking is something we all do every minute, whether we think about it or not. The average person blinks 15-20 times per minute, or about 1,200 times per hour.

So why do we unconsciously move our eyelids over our eyeballs so many times? Because it’s extremely important for your eyes and vision.

Although you may not think of blinking as a major component of your health care routine, if you didn’t blink for extended periods you’d be at higher risk of eye infection.  You would also have uncomfortable, dry eyes and would have decreased clarity of vision. The most important benefit of blinking is that it cleans the surface of your eye of any debris and washes it away with fresh tears. The thin coating of tears helps sharpen your vision, clearing and brightening the image your retina receives. Blinking also nourishes your eye with oxygen and nutrients, keeping your eyes healthy and comfortable.

Blinking wipes and renews your tear film, the smooth, moist layer covering our eyeballs.

The tears have 3 important layers.  The inner most is the mucous layer that contains ‘mucins’ to keep the tears attached to the surface cells of the cornea.  This material is produced by ‘goblet cells’ in the conjunctiva.  The next layer is aqueous or ‘water-like’ that is produced by the lacrimal gland located in the upper-outer quadrant of the eye region. Finally, the outer layer is lipid or ‘oil-like’ that prevents the other layers from evaporating. These lipids are produced by tiny glands along the lid margins, next to the eyelashes.  If any of these layers are absent or abnormal, then the cornea becomes vulnerable to damage.

The tears contain many protein components such as lysozyme, which function like natural antibiotics. The tear film also contains many nutrients and amino acids to nourish the cells of the cornea, which is the clear, dome-like structure on the front of the eye.

Besides keeping your eyes lubricated, the tear film also:

  • Helps form an almost perfectly smooth front optical surface on the cornea helping light to focus properly.
  • Washes away debris.
  • Transfers oxygen from the atmosphere to the cornea, since the cornea lacks blood vessels to deliver it directly.
  • Provides a pathway for white blood cells when there is an injury to the eye’s surface.
  • Prevents infection due to presence of lysozyme and other antibacterial enzymes.

Your eyelids also play a significant role, aside from protecting your eye and keeping things dark while you sleep. There is also a slight horizontal movement of the eyelid that pushes debris toward the tear ducts, which are the small openings at the inner corners of the eyes through which tears drain into your nose. That is why your nose runs when you cry.

Blinking exercises are a great way to keep your eyes moist. Blinking stimulates tear production and gives our eyes a chance to wash away any debris that has accumulated on the surface of the eye. Individuals who spend a lot of time on the computer or reading a lot tend to blink less often than they should. Therefore, if your eyes feel dry and irritated when using the computer or reading, then look away and do the following blinking exercises.

Blinking Exercises for Dry and Irritated Eyes:

  1. Close your eyes quickly and tightly. Squeeze your facial muscles around your eyes for three to five seconds. Open your eyes slowly and relax your facial muscles. Keep your eyes open for another three to five seconds and repeat the squeezing process five to seven times.
  2. Use the 10-10 rule and every 10 minutes look at away from your computer and intentionally blink 10 times. Then resume your activities.

Beauty is in the Eyes of the Beholder

I love the idea that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. It reminds us that individuals can make choices about what they perceive to be true beauty.

Let’s consider art… one person’s beautiful can be another person’s junk. If beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, the question is – are we taking the time to appreciate all that surrounds us? From Mother Nature’s unlimited panoplies of possibilities to the innocent smile of a child, beauty is the catalyst that makes being alive the greatest of all human adventures.

I am sure you’ve heard the phrase “stop and smell the roses,” so why not take the time to stop and observe the beauty your eyes can behold.

The Discovery Eye Foundation is working every day to preserve your vision and give all of us the chance to see what’s truly beautiful and treasure it.  All you have to do is open your eyes and take a look.

Louis Armstrong said it well:

I see trees of green and red roses too.
I see them bloom for me and you.
And I think to myself,
what a wonderful world.

You’re right Louis… it is a wonderful world if we all just keep appreciating the beauty that’s out there for all of us.

 
Donate today to help support the Discovery Eye Foundation! 

DonateNow

Tom Sullivan
DEF’s Ambassador of Vision
sullivanvision.com

 

June is Cataract Awareness Month

June is Cataract Awareness Month. This is a time to raise cataract awareness and help to educate people about one of the leading causes of treatable vision loss in the United States. There are 24 million Americans over the age of 40 who are affected by cataracts, so it seems fitting that an entire month should be dedicated to cataract education and awareness.

A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens, which blocks or changes the passage of light into the eye. The lens of the eye is located behind the pupil and the colored iris, and is normally transparent. Vision may become blurry or dim because the cataract stops light from properly passing through to the retina. Generally, a cataract does not cause pain, redness or tearing, but does cause increasing difficulty in seeing clearly.

 

Here is an overview of Cataracts:

View Video

 

Cataract symptoms:

  • Cloudy
  • Night vision
  • Glare
  • Halo
  • New glasses
  • Yellow tint
  • Double vision

Some Risk factors for cataracts include:

  • Older age
  • Intense heat or long-term exposure to UV rays from the sun
  • Certain diseases, such as diabetes
  • Inflammation in the eye
  • Hereditary influences
  • Long-term steroid use
  • Eye injuries
  • Eye diseases
  • Smoking

Cataracts can be easily diagnosed and visiting your eye doctor regularly is important in helping protect your eyes from further damage. An annual eye exam is recommended for everyone over the age of 60, and bi-annual exams for adults between 41-60 years to check for developing eye or vision problems.

 

There are a few treatment options, below is one of the newest options:
View Video

 

There is no proven way to prevent age-related cataracts. However, choosing a healthy lifestyle can slow the progression of cataracts. Some ways to delay the progression of cataracts include avoiding smoking, reducing exposure to UV rays, eating healthy foods, and wearing proper eye protection to avoid eye injury.

For more information and where you can find support for Cataracts click here .