There are millions of people all over the world who are legally blind or sight-impaired, and while many of them were born with health conditions that impaired their sight from an early age, there are many reported cases of blindness out there which only came on later in life – and might have been prevented with the right care or treatment at the right time.
There are many conditions that can cause you to go blind or lose partial vision: Astigmatism, glaucoma, cataracts and serious general eye infections are some of the potential causes, other times direct eye injury can be the cause of blindness for life.
If you are in the process of gradually losing sight, there are many times still things you can do to reduce your chances of going blind.
Here are 8 general tips you can use to help reduce any chances of blindness during your lifetime.
1. Regular Eye Examinations
Regular eye examinations could be one of the single most important keys to avoiding the health conditions that can cause blindness (and blindness or impaired sight later on in life). If you want to make sure your eyes and vision are in the condition they should be, the only real way is to have it tested by an expert – and if you have any issues with your vision that could pose a risk to your sight, this is where they’ll see it.
The majority of health conditions behind blindness are ones that are best spotted early on, and most of them can still be treated when they’re in the early stages. This should illustrate just why regular eye examinations – at least once to twice per year – are extremely important to keep your vision perfect throughout your life.
Remember to mention symptoms that you are experiencing (if any) during your appointment.