All the senses are essential for any person but in the case of the eyes they go beyond being able to see. Its function is directly related to quality of life and individual development. Despite the above, only a minority follow the advice on proper eye health habits. On many occasions it is because they ignore what they should do and the benefits that can be obtained with simple aspects but that can anticipate big problems.
In this sense, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), until 2010 there were 285 million people worldwide with some degree of visual impairment. From the aforementioned figure, 39 million blind people emerge. With this you can see that it is by no means a minor problem, quite the opposite.
On the other hand, to talk about health it is necessary to have a comprehensive panorama. The drawback is that many people focus on other aspects but leave aside the visual part. Although the maximum indication is attend an ophthalmological check-up every yearthe reality is that few people comply.
Eye care instructions
With this in mind and to learn some of the main visual health habits, in salutary We were able to interview the Dr. Beatriz Pérez Aragón. She is a graduate of the Medical Surgeon career at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). She did postgraduate studies in ophthalmology at the Hospital Fundación Nuestra Señora de la Luz. She later did highly specialized studies in Retina and vitreous, and also highly specialized in inflammatory diseases at the Hospital de la Luz. Today she has extensive surgical experience in 3D visualization platforms for retinal surgeries within salauno where he has the position of assigned doctor and head of service of the Retina and vitreous service.
The first thing he comments on is the risk to which people are currently exposed. A change that millions experienced during the covid-19 pandemic was to adopt the home office modality. In this way they were able to work from home and some continue to do so. Naturally, the time spent in front of a screen increased and therefore the risk of developing dry eye, fatigue and irritation.
On the other hand, those who have resumed face-to-face activities are also at risk. Large cities especially suffer from high levels of air pollution and pollution. When this happens the eyes are the ones that suffer the most. Therefore, both leaving the house and staying inside are dangerous.
To better understand the situation, the specialist points out that at least 700,000 people in Mexico suffer from some visual disturbance. The important thing is that it is estimated that 70 percent is reversible if the problem is identified in its early stages and proper treatment is started.
Recommendations and advice for the population
Now, not all but many of the problems can be prevented. To achieve this, it is necessary to adopt certain eye health habits although most have benefits in other aspects. The first and most important is food. The consumption of processed or high-fat foods not only promotes obesity but also affect the quality of the eyes.
In this sense, the following recommendation is to have a balanced diet, in addition to proper hydration. If you do not consume enough water, the risk of developing dry eye increases. also advise avoid vices such as smoking because it chronically causes serious damage to vision.
Finally, periodic reviews are the basis for being able to identify any type of problem from its earliest stages. It is not necessary that there be pain or discomfort, but any day is ideal to see an ophthalmologist and check the health of the eyes.
With regard to the reasons for ophthalmological consultations, in the first place are the ametropias and visual disturbances. Regarding diseases, the one that has had the greatest growth in recent years is Diabetic retinopathy.
To clearly understand the problem, to date it is estimated that 18 percent of the adult population in Mexico has diabetes. Of that figure, half of the patients have visual health problems and in some cases the visual decline progresses rapidly.
With the above in mind, Dr. Pérez Aragón adds that all people with diabetes or hypertension should go to a ophthalmologic examination immediately. Otherwise blindness may be irreversible.
Most recent advances that have been achieved
On the other hand, technology is a fundamental part within the field of health and more in the visual section. The specialist mentions that within Salauno the telemedicine combined with innovative tests to carry out reviews remotely. In this way, it is now possible to photograph fundus without the need for patients to come to the clinic. When combined with a questionnaire it is possible to identify the source of the problem and offer an alternative.
In the same way, in the theaters there is already the 3-D technology and intraocular lenses to improve the quality of vision of patients. It is only about some of the most important advances that have been achieved and that are already available in our country.
But although there are now great advances, the main indication is encourage prevention. For this reason, the aforementioned visual health habits are very useful to avoid having to resort to this type of innovation. In addition, most of the recommendations also offer benefits in the rest of the body.