Blurry vision is a nuisance, but can also seriously impair nearly every aspect of daily life — from causing headaches and eyestrain to making it difficult and dangerous to drive. If you are experiencing unexplained blurry vision, first and foremost, visit your doctor. Blurred vision can stem from numerous medical problems that should be diagnosed and treated before any home remedies are attempted.
Commonly, blurred vision is caused by refractive errors, conditions wherein the retina is prevented from receiving the appropriate amount of light in order to generate nerve impulses. Conditions caused by refractive errors are myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism (blurriness at all distances), which can all be corrected with glasses, contact lenses or laser eye surgery.
However, there are more sinister medical conditions that may be the culprit. Diabetes, glaucoma, cataracts, cardiovascular disease and detached retina can all cause blurred vision, and are conditions necessitating immediate medical assistance.
If serious medical conditions have been ruled out, there are some easy things you can do in your everyday life besides wearing prescription glasses to help reduce your chances of experiencing blurry vision or possibly even correct it.
Here are three tips:
Make sure you’re getting the appropriate nutrients.
Vitamin A, C, E and zinc deficiency can cause blurred vision, since these nutrients are essential to retinal health and are believed to slow the progression of advanced age-related macular degeneration. Foods that are rich in these nutrients are carrots (vitamin A), bell peppers (vitamin C), turkey (zinc), and spinach (vitamin E).
Omega-3 fatty acids have also demonstrated an ability to slow age-related macular degeneration, as well as protect against cataracts. Omega-3s are found in fatty fish, such as salmon and sardines.
If you eat these or other nutrient rich foods or regularly take vitamin supplements and are experiencing persistent symptoms of vitamin deficiency (dry skin, poor night vision and slow wound healing), see your doctor for medical conditions that may be inhibiting your ability to absorb these vitamins.
Exercise your eyes.
Eye exercises are great for managing conditions such as amblyopia (also known colloquially as lazy eye) and crossed eyes. However, if you regularly experience headaches and eyestrain after reading or working on the computer, or sensitivity to bright light, you might benefit from regular eye exercises, as well.
Eye exercises are often prescribed by doctors and are tailored specifically to address the patient’s eye condition. Common eye exercises include slowly alternating focus between objects that are far and objects that are near, covering one eye and following a visual pattern with the uncovered eye or focusing on slowly moving objects in and out of the periphery.
Wear sunglasses.
We all know that sun exposure can damage the skin, causing burning, premature aging and even melanoma. However, we don’t always realize that the sun can damage the eyes, too. Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light can damage the retina and lead to macular degeneration and even cancer in the long term, and blurry vision in the short. A pair of sunglasses that filter out 99 to 100 percent of ultraviolet rays can help protect eyes from sun damage, but make sure that the glasses disclose the amount of sun protection they provide. “UV absorption up to 400 nanometers” means the lenses block 100 percent of ultraviolet rays.
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Alicia Surge has been with the Medical Eye Industry since 1993 and is now works at Sugarland Eye & Laser Center – www.sugarlandeyes.com.
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