Eye Vitamins for Presbyopia (Aging Vision)

Some things improve with age, but unfortunately, the human eye is not one of them.  We’ve talked extensively about common eye conditions like nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, glaucoma, and cataracts on our blog. But aging is unavoidable, and with age comes natural vision deterioration. If you suffer from poor eyesight caused by aging vision, medically known as Presbyopia, then keep reading for some helpful tips to strengthen your eyes!

We have advocated the merits of eye vitamins for years. Giving your eyes the proper nutrition they need will help them age well, even at an age when we are putting our eyes under more strain than ever before. By adding a few simple steps (and vitamins!) to your daily routine, you can prevent presbyopia from becoming too severe, allowing you to age as gracefully as possible.

What Is Presbyopia?

Presbyopia is the natural loss of the eye’s ability to focus. As the eye ages, it loses its ability to see objects up close clearly. This condition is not a disease! It is very normal and will most likely happen to everyone as they grow older. In fact, it’s a common issue, with aging vision rates rapidly on the rise. Presbyopia can start as early as age 40, but it most commonly starts to happen when you are in your fifties, and sometimes at an even older age.

Presbyopia should not be confused with farsightedness, as presbyopia is brought on with age and has to do with the loss of flexibility within the lens of the eye. Some common symptoms of presbyopia include the following:

• headaches from working with objects up close
• eye fatigue
• blurred vision at close distances
• inability to read up close
• the need to hold objects further away in order to bring them into focus

If you think you might have presbyopia, do not fear! There are some simple vitamins you can take to correct your presbyopia and preserve your vision for later in life.

If you want to be sure you have presbyopia and not a more serious eye problem, consult your eye care provider for a proper diagnosis. It’s extremely important to keep up with regular eye exams as you age. This will ensure you catch any serious vision problems early. Then you can move on to these natural, safe treatments!

Vitamins to Help Treat Presbyopia

Why do we recommend vitamins for presbyopia? The treatments your doctor will recommend usually include the general assortment of glasses, contacts, surgery, or perhaps just reading glasses. But the problem is that none of these treatments actually restore your aging vision.

Glasses and contacts are little more than a band-aid solution for vision problems. While the addition of blue light filters to most lenses will certainly help protect your eyes from digital eye strain, you can do more to support your eyes as you age.

We recommend vitamins and exercises not only because they are safe, but because they are effective at treating the eye condition itself. By supporting your eyes with the right vitamins and minerals and building stronger eyes through muscle exercise, you can restore your vision and eliminate the need for contacts or glasses!

Eating a healthy diet will get you the balanced nutrition you need for healthy eyes; however, for some people, this may not be enough. Taking a vitamin supplement that is specifically created to support eye health is never a bad option.

The Specifics

If you prefer to take specific vitamins or get your vitamins the natural way, consider getting more omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C, vitamin A, lutein, and zinc.

Omega-3 fatty acids are easy to get – just eat fish! Eating healthy servings of grilled fish about three times a week will get you the recommended dosage of omega-3. Don’t like fish? Simple – take a fish oil supplement!

Vitamin C can be found in a variety of sources, including oranges, guavas, peppers, and kale. As long as you are eating the recommended serving of fruit or dark green vegetables per day (depending on your age and gender), you should be getting enough vitamin C to support your eye health.

Make sure to snack on some oranges if you don’t think you are getting enough! Additionally, some cough drop companies now make vitamin C drops that you can take to get your daily dose in just one piece of candy!

Vitamin A is also essential for healthy eyes, so make sure you are getting enough if you have presbyopia!²  Some natural sources include sweet potatoes, spinach, greens, and romaine lettuce. Again, consider a supplement if you just cannot change your diet!

Egg yolks and corn are superb sources of lutein and other nutrients that can help with your presbyopia. Finally, for zinc, eat more potatoes, brown rice, yogurt, whole wheat bread, and cheese, and drink more milk!

If you make sure you are getting all of the recommended vitamins via natural or supplemental sources, like our Ocu-Plus Formula, you will be well on your way to preventing or treating presbyopia.

What Else Can You Do to Cure Presbyopia?

Resting your eyes periodically when you are working on computers or watching television can also help preserve your eyes. When working or staring at a screen for long periods of time, take a break every 10 minutes and always rest your eyes when they feel tired. Follow our 10-10-10 rule for the best results!

Increased periods of screen time are an occupational hazard of almost any job these days. Investing in a pair of blue light glasses and adjusting the blue light options on your screen can do wonders to reduce eye strain and preserve your vision. Taking small steps like this will help stave off the effects of presbyopia longer.

Be sure to protect your eyes with sunglasses when you go outside too! UV rays can really do some damage to both your skin and your eyes, even on cloudy days. Adding these habits and prevention measures will keep your eyes rested, strong, and healthy. Your aging self will thank you!