This is an automatically translated article.
Premature eye aging is a condition in which vision changes in the eyes earlier than the average age of those problems. This seriously affects the ability to observe and quality of life. Knowing the causes of aging eyes helps you to take appropriate preventive measures.
1. What is eye aging?
Eye aging is a change in vision that decreases with time and age. The face can also age over time like other parts of our body.
Usually from the age of 40 onwards, your eyes have begun to show signs of aging with difficulty in reading, and by the age of 50, the signs of aging have become more obvious. You are also at risk for certain eye conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and dry eyes.
Signs of eye aging:
Vision loss: Can't read words clearly when looking at close, can only read when looking at a distance. Difficulty reading small print or difficult to read in low light. When reading, working in front of the screen for a long time, often eyestrain, headaches, tears... Signs of diseases in aging eyes such as: glaucoma causing eye pain, soreness eye sockets, eye fatigue, reduced vision, headache; cataracts cause vision loss causing patients to see blurred, bright, feeling like flying flies, double vision, yellow images...; Dry eyes feel itchy, sore eyes... Usually, the early signs are difficult to recognize, the patient needs to be examined to be able to detect the disease early.
2. Causes of premature eye aging
Age is not the only problem that causes eye aging, but a number of other causes contribute to accelerating eye aging and causing premature eye aging, including:
Frequent exposure to toxic environments Harmful: Cigarette smoke, emissions from industrial activities, exhaust gases from vehicles... when inhaled through the lungs, it will accumulate in the blood to form toxic oxidants and it has the potential to cause mutations. structural changes, reducing the ratio of protein components of the lens to make this structure opaque... These toxic oxidants when entering the retina also damage the retina in a similar way, damage cells. Not only affects the eyes, but these free radicals also affect other organs in the body. Exposure to blue light: blue light, when exposed regularly, it has the ability to change heat-sensitive enzymes that help protect lens proteins, gradually losing protein, leading to cataracts . On the other hand, blue light also reverses the photochemical reactions of Rhodopsine (this is a visual pigment of photoreceptor cells), thereby promoting this cell death, seriously affecting the ability to see. clarity of the eye. Blue light comes from two sources: the first is a natural source from sunlight and the second is an artificial source from LED bulbs, from computer screens, phone screens, televisions... in which , the artificial blue light that humans abuse has the potential to cause continuous and increasing harm. Without proper eye care: Without proper care and not providing a nutritious diet, you have a higher risk of eye disease. Disease also accelerates the aging process of the eyes.
3. Solutions to prevent premature eye aging
To limit the risk of premature eye aging, you can apply some of the following appropriate care measures:
Eye mask: You can use cucumber or potato, these are the main ingredients Used for eye area. Cut a potato or cucumber into thin slices and put it on your eyes 30 minutes before going to bed to tighten the skin around your eyes and help fade dark circles around your eyes. Scientific living mode: Get enough sleep, because sleep is the most important thing for your eyes to rest and recover after a day of continuous activity. You should spend eight hours a day to sleep, getting enough sleep helps us to be healthier and reduces the phenomenon of dark circles due to lack of sleep. Protect eyes from sunlight: Protect by wearing sunglasses with UV protection, avoid going out in the street at the time of the day with the highest UV index, which is between 10am and 3pm pm. Anti-blue light glasses should be used if you work continuously with electronic devices, to protect your eyes from direct exposure to blue light emitted by electronic devices such as computer screens, television screens. and phone. Proper eye care: Do not read books too close (for adults, the best distance is from 30-35cm, children from 25-30cm), do not read when sitting on moving vehicles, making the right eye continuous regulation. If you have to work in front of a computer screen, play games, or look at your phone, take a 5-10 minute break every 50 minutes. Or do the 20-20-20 measure, that is, when working for 20 minutes, rest your eyes for 20 seconds and look at an object about 6m away for 20 seconds. Avoid the habit of rubbing your eyes: This habit can cause small blood vessels under the skin to break, causing the eyelids to collapse quickly, dark circles appear, or it can damage the corneal surface, making the image blurry even when wear glasses. Drink enough water: Our body needs 1.5-2 liters of water per day to ensure the body's vital activities are balanced. If you drink too little water, it can make your eyes dry quickly, eye fatigue, and unstable vision. Do not smoke and be exposed to secondhand smoke, because smoking weakens the body's circulatory system, reducing blood flow to the eyes. Should maintain a balanced diet: In the diet, it is necessary to provide the eyes with essential nutrients such as zinc, vitamin B2, lutein, zeaxanthin to help nourish healthy eye cells and prevent aging. In particular, zinc and vitamin B2 (riboflavin) play an important role in many body activities, participate in the exchange of pigments in the retina of the eye, making it easier for the eyes to adapt to light. Vitamin B2 and zinc deficiency can cause red, sensitive, or tired eyes and blurred vision. In addition to the vitamins and minerals that need to be supplemented, there are also a number of substances that are used to enhance vision, prevent aging such as: Omega 3 - this is an unsaturated fat that plays a very important role in the body. , it is a structural component of the retina, it helps to enhance vision and protect the eyes. Omega 3 is found in fatty fish, milk, soybeans, flax seeds...; Chondroitin is a substance extracted from shark fin cartilage, which helps to increase the elasticity of the lens and the transparency of the lens, thus enhancing vision in the eye.
Besides, you should also have regular eye exams: You should have regular eye exams about 2 times a year to early detect eye diseases and thereby have timely treatment. When you see unusual signs in your eyes, you need to go to the doctor immediately, do not arbitrarily drop the wrong eye drops without a doctor's prescription.
Thus, there are many causes that can lead to premature aging of the eyes, causing vision loss. However, it is preventable if you take proper care of your eyes.
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