Eye diseases are something that many people suffer from, both those who have vision difficulties and those who do not. The truth is that there are some patterns that predispose each person to be able to suffer them more than others, however, everything can be avoided.

Having a good quality of life largely depends on not having diseases of any kind and of course, eye diseases can appear at any time and cause serious problems in a person’s normal life.

To avoid this, today in Contact Lenses we will give you several tips to avoid the appearance of eye diseases as well as we will indicate the types of these diseases that exist.

Is it possible to prevent eye diseases?

At present, it cannot be said outright that a disease can be avoided, however, preventive care is the best weapon to fight against pathologies.

Eye diseases can be prevented. In addition, the idea that the passage of time is the origin of eye diseases is widespread, but not everything lies in this. The eyes, our visual organs, suffer in the same way as others.

The difference with other organs is that the eyes are the ones that provide us with one of the 5 senses, sight. Because of this, eye diseases can and should be avoided at all costs.

How many eye diseases are there?

Eye diseases can be grouped into 4 large groups:

Common eye diseases

Common eye diseases are those that sometimes develop by contagion and are not lifelong.

The most common are the contagious ones, such as conjunctivitis or keratitis .

These eye diseases can be easily avoided or at least their appearance can be prevented, on some occasions.

Hereditary eye diseases

Genetics is responsible for making a person have the same pathologies that their predecessors may have had.

Sometimes, these eye diseases take a long time to develop, however, knowing the family history is vital to be able to regularly check the sight and thus rule out the development of these anomalies.

The most common hereditary eye diseases are glaucoma , colour blindness and cataracts.

Degenerative eye diseases

Degenerative eye diseases are the ones to pay more attention to. The most common by far is age- related macular degeneration (AMD).

This disease is the cause of 20% of those who suffer from it becoming blind before the age of 65 in Europe.

Detecting it is not always easy, which is why it is so important to undergo visual checks from time to time.

Rare eye diseases

A disease can be classified as “rare” if it affects less than 200,000 people in the world. Thus, there are some rare eye diseases that are born as opposed to others that develop or arise over the years.

The best known are nyctalopia or a chromatopsia among many others.

How to prevent eye diseases?

It is possible to prevent the appearance of diseases in the eyes, in fact it is possible whether it is a common type of disease or if it is a degenerative or hereditary disease.

On many occasions, degenerative and hereditary diseases are part of our DNA from the moment of birth, however they are not always activated. There are many people who are diagnosed with diseases that do not develop.

That you understand this is essential. Illnesses exist and if they should appear, they will appear, but taking care of yourself is the best medicine to avoid suffering these illnesses or to delay their appearance as much as possible.

So, here are tips for you to start taking care of your visual health today:

See your optician or ophthalmologist

According to recent studies, only 44% of Spaniards go annually to have their eyes checked. Although they are positive data if we compare them with other European countries, these studies show that more than half of the population of Spain does not have their eyes checked.

These data suggest that as long as you do not suffer from an eye disease, you avoid going to the vision professional.

There are eye diseases that are silent, such as glaucoma, and therefore the best way to stop them before it’s too late is to see a specialist.

Today more than ever, with the progressive increase in the use of screens and mobile phones, it is vital to undergo these reviews.

lead a healthy life

All doctors recommend that you follow certain self-care guidelines to avoid disease, but you should keep in mind that this is also directly related to eye disease.

The first fundamental pillar is to maintain a healthy and balanced diet. There are people who, although they eat healthily, have a tendency to develop high cholesterol, something that must be controlled medically on a regular basis.

Likewise, the most recommended foods to achieve a strengthening of visual health are those rich in Omega 3 and 6, as well as green fruits and vegetables. Eat fish, broccoli, spinach, and dried fruit often.

On the one hand, we recommend that you practice frequent exercise, if possible daily and for our better vision outside, if possible. Exercising decreases the possibility of being overweight, cholesterol and diabetes.

Also, stay away from toxic substances such as alcohol and tobacco, because they are the least suitable for preserving your visual health.

Maintain good eye hygiene

Maintaining good eye hygiene is important to avoid the appearance of unwanted eye diseases, especially if you wear contact lenses.

If you wear contact lenses you have to clean them every day and always change the contact lens liquid on which they are going to rest . Always clean them with certified products that are within their useful life date.

In the event that you do not have vision problems, you must also follow certain hygiene guidelines.

For example, avoid sleeping with eye makeup. Similarly, avoid poor quality cosmetics, as many of these contain lead which is harmful to the eyes and the area where the cosmetic is deposited.

Also, protect your eyes from harmful agents such as sand, dust or micro particles. These can get into your eyes and cause incisions or irritation when rubbed.

Check your blood sugar level

Diabetes is a disease that causes eye problems. The best way to prevent this is to check your blood sugar often.

Being overweight as well as the hereditary appearance of diabetes are often triggers for a person to suffer from early diabetic retinopathy.

Protect your eyes from the sun’s rays

It has been proven that the sun’s rays are harmful to the eyes and can even trigger the appearance of certain eye diseases such as visual degeneration or cataracts.

Whenever there is sun, wear approved sunglasses and that you have purchased them at an authorised health center, not anywhere, so that they ensure that they block at least 99% of UVB and UVA rays, and that they do not produce any kind of distortion or aberration in our vision.

Taking care of your visual health is something that is in your hands and that you can start doing right now.