Protect your eyesight

Protecting your eyesight is one of the most important things you can do to help maintain your quality of life.

The leading causes of blindness and low vision are age-related diseases such as macular degeneration, cataract, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.

Here are some helpful tips to help you avoid vision loss from these age-related eye diseases and other problems:

1. Find out if you are at higher risk for eye diseases.
Be aware of your family's health history. Do you or any of your family suffer from diabetes or have a history of high blood pressure? Are you over age 60? Any of these traits increase your risk for sight-threatening eye diseases.

2. Have regular physical exams to check for diabetes and high blood pressure.
If left untreated, these diseases can cause eye problems. In particular, diabetes and high blood pressure can lead to vision loss from diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration and eye strokes.

3. Look for warning signs of changes in your vision.
If you start noticing changes in your vision, see your eye doctor immediately. Some trouble signs to look for are double vision, hazy vision and difficulty seeing in low light conditions.

Other signs and symptoms of potentially serious eye problems that warrant immediate attention include red eyes, frequent flashes of light, floaters, and eye pain and swelling.

4. Exercise frequently.
Studies suggest that regular exercise — such as brisk walking — can reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration by up to 70 percent.