Slowing the aging progress of eyes

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Preventative medicine is a trending topic. Doctors are now learning more about nutrition and how important nutrients are to our overall health. Does that also include eyesight? You bet it does, depending on what type of eyesight problems we're talking about. Unfortunately, consuming tons of fruits and veggies and taking the right vitamins does not appear to slow down nearsightedness or farsightedness. However, Dr. Allan Panzer from Houston Dry Eye Clinic has some positive news about how it might help prevent other conditions.   

"There is evidence that vitamins do slow down some aging processes, like macular degeneration, so there are antioxidants that do that, but as far as the concern about needing reading glasses -to date, we haven't found any vitamins that stop that progression," explains Dr. Panzer. "That would be purely genetics!  Changes you can make to keep macular degeneration from occurring - do not smoke, wear sunglasses, and take anti-oxidant vitamins.  We know those three things work, but they don't work to change cataract formation.  There are drops on the horizon they say will correct cataracts, but for the moment, there's nothing to keep you from simply needing reading glasses, which is what most people are interested in."

Sunshades are another powerful tool you should consider. They are so much more important than "just looking cool", and this includes people of all ages! 

"Sunglasses are valuable to avoid cataract development and macular degeneration," says Dr. Panzer. "Those are important things - I don't set foot out of my office without sunglasses."

For more information, visit  http://www.houstondryeyeclinic.com/.