3 Things That Can Increase Your Chances Of Developing Cataracts
If you notice your vision is becoming blurry, dim, or cloudy, you may be developing cataracts. You may also notice that things are not as colorful or bright as they once were. You can get cataracts in one or both of your eyes. Below are some things that can put you at greater risk of developing cataracts:
Smoking
If you are a heavy smoker, smoking 15 or more cigarettes per day, you are three times more likely to develop cataracts than a nonsmoker. Doctors believe that smoking leads to cataracts because it causes oxidation, which alters the cells that make up your lenses. Smoking can also lead to accumulation of cadmium and other heavy metals on your eye's lens.
See your doctor if you need help quitting smoking or use one of the many smoking cessation products you can find on the market today. If you have a friend that smokes, ask them if they want to quit with you so you can help each other get through it.
Obesity
Two-thirds of adults struggle with being overweight. If you are obese, the larger your waistline is, the greater the chance you have of developing cataracts. This is because carrying this extra weight puts more pressure on the blood vessels in your eyes. These blood vessels are very delicate and can be damaged easily, which leads to poor vision and cataracts.
Some people that are obese do not have good nutrition, and cataracts are related to nutrition. Several vitamins and nutrients are important for eye health, such as Omega-3s and vitamin C, and someone that is not eating nutritionally is likely lacking in these nutrients.
If you are having problems losing weight, see your doctor, who can put you in touch with the right people to help you.
Sun Damage
Being out in the sun a lot without any kind of eye protection is not good for your eyes. This is because over exposure to the sun's UV (ultraviolet) rays can damage your retinas. When this happens, you can eventually develop cataracts.
There are many types of sunglasses on the market, so you need to make sure you purchase ones that give you the best sun protection.
See your eye doctor regularly for an eye exam. The eye doctor can tell during the exam if you are developing cataracts. If found early, the eye doctor can give you some tips to help slow down the progression of the cataracts. Check out the sites of eye doctors for more information.