Do carrots really improve vision?

You may have heard that carrots are good for your eyes. Carrots do not improve vision or help heal vision problems, but vitamin A, which is in carrots, is good for overall eye health. Our bodies only need a small level of vitamin A. Good sources include dairy, brightly coloured veggies, such as carrots, and dark, leafy greens.

What exercises can I do to slow down the development of eye disease?

The eye is primarily an organic optical device. That also means its performance is influenced by genetics, age, health, and refractive error. Generally, eyesight declines over time accelerating in the 50 plus demographic, but staying healthy, exercising, eating well, protecting against UV and avoiding smoking are some helpful ways to reduce your risk.

I’m diabetic. Why does my primary care doctor want me to get my eyes checked yearly?

Diabetes can cause changes to your eye’s health. Diabetes weakens blood vessels. In the eye, this causes blood vessels to become leaky. In the retina – the backmost structure of the eye responsible for detecting light and transmitting this information to the brain for image processing – leaky blood vessels can cause permanent vision loss, as blood is toxic to the retina. Not only that, but leaky blood vessels can cause retinal ischemia (death of retinal tissue) as blood is leaking out prior to reaching the tissue needing oxygen and nutrition. When this occurs, the retina sends out a signal to the body to produce new blood vessels – a process called neovascularisation. Neovascularis ation within the eye greatly increases the risk for more serious vision loss secondary to retinal detachments. The number one risk factor for diabetic changes in the eye (called diabetic retinopathy) is how long you have been diabetic. Therefore, even those who have the strictest diet and the best blood sugar control can show signs of diabetic changes in the eye. Early detection and treatment of these changes can prevent further progression and therefore prevent serious vision loss. For this reason, most primary care doctors require their diabetic patients to have yearly eye exams.

Why does my eye keep twitching?

Eyelid twitches are very common. Thankfully they are mostly benign and usually come and go over time. They tend to appear during bouts of stress, lack of sleep, or simply from aging, and certain eyelid structures. More serious spasms may indicate underlying neurological problems though.