Protecting Your Vision

Preventative Measures To Protect Your Vision

As a patient, there are many lifestyle measures that you can take to preserve vision and lower your risk of eye disease. Here are some suggestions that will help you preserve your vision and lower your risk of eye disease. Some of the following suggestions are rather obvious, while others are less apparent.

One of the first steps to good health is a well-balanced diet. A well-balanced diet is one with a healthy mixture of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. Many people have questions about what type of diet is best for patients with macular degeneration, and also whether or not taking vitamin supplements are beneficial.

Most people get all the vitamins and minerals that they need from diet alone. Supplements are not substitutes. It is important to understand that no one has proven that vitamin/mineral therapy helps fight or prevent macular degeneration. It is not clear that taking "eye vitamins" will alleviate eye disease. Therefore, be cautious about those who claim a nutritional cure for eye diseases. If you decide to take a vitamin-mineral combination, choose a supplement limited to 100 percent of the U.S. Daily allowance because excess amounts of many vitamins can be dangerous to your health. In this way, you will not cause any harm, and it is possible that they may favorably alter the natural course of macular degeneration.

• Read more information about “Vitamin and Mineral Supplements and Your Eyes”
• Read more about “Findings from the AREDS Study” 
• More information on AREDS is also available from the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health