Watching a beautiful sunset, going to the movies with your partner or seeing your child in a school play are all things that have to be done with your eyes. For the most part, people take their eyesight for granted. Over 61 million American adults are currently dealing with serious eye health issues. Instead of waiting until your eyesight is nearly gone to take action, now is the time to start taking care of this vital part of your body.
Getting the eye care you need can be expensive without a good vision insurance plan. Taking the time to visit the HealthMarkets website is vital when trying to get an idea of the eye insurance policies on the market. With a bit of research, finding a policy that is both affordable and comprehensive will be easy. The following are some of the things you need to do when trying to keep your eyes healthy and functional.
Get Familiar With Your Family History
Most people fail to realize that a number of serious eye conditions are genetic. This is why you need to work on getting familiar with your family’s history of eye disease and problems. If your family does have a history of having degenerative eye diseases, you will need to take special precautions to avoid these problems. The best way to do this is by developing a good relationship with a knowledgeable eye doctor.
An experienced eye doctor will know which tests need to be ran to detect degenerative eye diseases early on. Early detection is the key to minimizing the damage degenerative eye diseases like glaucoma and cataracts can cause.
Protect Your Eyes from the Sun
If you are like most adults, you spend a lot of time outside. While spending time outdoors can be a lot of fun, there are also dangers you need to be aware of. For instance, if you are going to be spending multiple hours outside, you need to wear sunglasses. Modern sunglasses are designed to protect your eyes from dangerous UV rays.
Wearing a quality pair of sunglasses allows you to avoid retinal damage and can also protect you’re the skin around your eyes. If you are already wear corrective lenses, then you need to speak with your eye doctor about a pair of prescription sunglasses. The money you spend on these prescription sunglasses will be worth it considering how much protection they can offer your eyes.
Maintaining a Healthy Diet is Important
Eating a steady diet of processed foods and sugar-filled snacks can lead to lots of health problems. While most people realize that an unhealthy diet can lead to serious conditions like heart disease, many are unaware that this unhealthy diet can affect their eye health. Failing to get the right amount of vegetables and healthy meats in your diet can lead to vitamin deficiencies.
These deficiencies have been known to impair retinal function. This is why you need to change up your diet and focus on consuming healthy foods. Eating plenty of leafy greens and other vegetables will help to raise your Vitamin C and E levels. Researchers have found that the right levels of these vitamins in the body can help you avoid retinal issues over time.
Going to the Eye Doctor Regularly
Another important thing you need to do when trying to keep your eyes healthy and functional is to find an eye doctor you trust. Going in for exams every six months or so is a great way to figure out how well your life changes are working. Your eye doctor will be able to perform a thorough exam and check for a variety of eye diseases.
The first time you go into a new eye doctor’s office, they will perform what is known as a baseline eye exam. This helps them establish how healthy your eyes are and find out information about any family history of eye disease.
Finding the Right Vision Insurance Policy
The key to getting affordable eye care is finding the right insurance policy. With the help of a knowledgeable insurance broker, finding the best policy will be easy. Be sure to consider both the monthly cost and the deductible before signing off on a particular policy.
