6 Prevention Strategies That Help Protect Against Cataracts 

Cataracts are almost universal among senior adults. This condition that clouds the lens in your eyes often starts when you’re around age 40. However, it doesn’t affect many adults until senior years. Are there protective strategies that can delay the onset of cataracts or possibly minimize their severity so that you won’t need surgery? 

Our board-certified ophthalmologists and optometrist with Wolchok Eye Associates, PA, can detect cataracts and other eye diseases in the early stages. Thankfully, cataracts in the early stages likely won’t bother you. 

However, if there’s a way to protect your eyes from developing cataracts that require early surgery, you want to know. Are there protective strategies that can delay their development or possibly minimize their severity? The answer is yes. 

The following are six ways to help protect your eyes from needing cataract surgery earlier rather than later or not at all. 

1. Wear sunglasses with 100% UV protection 

Do you forget to wear your sunglasses when you leave the house? Perhaps you have a ball cap that you think provides some protection. 

A ball cap isn’t nearly as effective at blocking UV rays as sunglasses are. UV rays scatter light throughout the atmosphere. They bounce off shiny surfaces, water, and sand. Your ball cap also doesn’t prevent light from entering your eyes from the side. 

Make sure you buy sunglasses with 100% UVA and UVB protection. Glasses protect your eyes from direct and reflected sunlight. The sun is a carcinogen. UV rays can damage the lens of your eyes, causing cataracts. 

2. Keep your blood sugar under control 

If you have diabetes or another autoimmune disease, you’re at increased risk of cataracts and other eye diseases. Your cataracts may develop earlier and progress faster than in someone without diabetes. 

Uncontrolled diabetes can cause blood sugar to stick to the proteins in your eyes, resulting in cloudy vision. Make part of your daily routine engaging in healthy habits that keep your autoimmune condition under control. 

3. Quit smoking and tobacco use

You know that tobacco use has adverse health effects. Smokers have more than double the risk of cataracts than nonsmokers. The chemicals in tobacco damage proteins in your eyes and can lead to early cataract progression. 

4. Limit alcohol

Excess alcohol consumption creates oxidative stress in your body’s cells — including the cells in your eyes. It can damage the proteins in your eyes’ lenses and lead to early-onset cataract development. New research on alcohol use negates the myth that alcohol is beneficial for your body. 

5. Eat a healthy diet 

Media sources emphasize the adverse effects of eating too much of highly processed foods, including sweet, store-bought pastries and sweetened beverages. Healthy foods contain antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, which are protective factors, whereas sugary and salt-laden foods can speed up cataract development. 

6. Make appointments for eye exams as recommended by your eye specialist

Make sure to schedule eye exams as recommended by your eye doctor. Your age, lifestyle habits, and health condition help determine how often you need a comprehensive eye exam. If you have diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, or another health condition that can cause premature cataracts, be vigilant in maintaining a regular eye exam schedule. 

Contact Wolchok Eye Associates, PA, for a comprehensive eye exam today.