You can’t prevent or reverse presbyopia with natural treatments. However, quitting smoking (if you smoke) and upping your intake of vitamins A, C, and E may improve your eye health.
Presbyopia is a progressive loss of your ability to see clearly at a close distance. It’s a natural result of the aging process.
Currently, there’s no way to prevent or reverse presbyopia. However, doctor-prescribed treatments such as eye drops and reading glasses can help treat symptoms. There are also natural treatments you can try at home that can improve your overall eye health.
This article reviews natural treatments you can try at home. It’s worth noting that you should always talk with a doctor before starting any treatments that involve taking supplements or making major changes to your diet.
What causes the age-related progression of presbyopia?
Presbyopia progresses as the lenses inside your eyes lose elasticity. The speed of progression, the severity of visual symptoms, and the exact age of onset for presbyopia vary. However, the degeneration of the lens that leads to presbyopia is a natural part of the aging process.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is found in dark leafy greens, like spinach and kale, as well as orange and yellow vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, squash, bell peppers, and carrots. It’s also available as a supplement.
Vitamins C and E are essential for eye health.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that is found in foods such as oranges, kale, kiwi, and strawberries. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin found in foods like avocados, sunflower seeds, and pumpkins.
Together, these two vitamins can protect your eyes from damage and can slow down the progression of certain age-related eye conditions.
Zinc helps transport vitamin A from your liver to your retinas.
Studies have shown that a lack of zinc is associated with reduced eye health. You can find zinc in foods such as oysters, poultry, red meat, and many types of fish. It’s available as a supplement.
Lutein is an antioxidant. It’s linked to improved eye health and to a reduction in eye inflammation.
You can find lutein in foods such as kale, peas, egg yolks, and pistachios. It’s also available in many supplements.
Omega-3 fatty acids can help your body fight inflammation. Consuming omega-3 fatty acids has also been linked to improved eye health. It might also prevent some age-related eye degeneration. But it’s worth noting that omega-3 fatty acids have not been proven to help prevent or treat symptoms of presbyopia.
You can find omega-3 fatty acids as supplements and in foods such as fish, nuts, and seeds.
The sun’s UV rays can damage your eyes and increase the risk of presbyopia. Wearing sunglasses protects your eyes and may lower your risk of presbyopia. It’s also a good idea to protect your eyes during recreational, artistic, and household activities.
For instance, it can be easy to skip goggles when you’re mixing paint at home. However, not wearing eye protection for activities like this can also lead to chemicals, dust, and debris in your eyes. And this can lead to eye damage and may worsen preexisting eye conditions.
Smoking is linked to a wide range of health effects. This includes eye health. Smoking increases the risk of presbyopia.
Quitting smoking (if you smoke) can reduce your risk of certain eye conditions and can improve your overall eye health.
Spending extended time looking at screens can lead to eyestrain. Taking even small breaks during your workday can be a big help and can help you reduce the strain on your eyes. One popular technique is the 20-20-20 method.
It can be done throughout your day by looking up from your screen every 20 minutes and focusing on an object at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Do prescription glasses speed up the progression of presbyopia?
People often think that wearing prescription reading glasses speeds up the progression of presbyopia by weakening the muscles of your eyes. However, this is a myth. Wearing prescription reading glasses does not worsen presbyopia or any age-related farsightedness.
Presbyopia is an age-related condition that results in the progressive loss of near vision. While there’s no way to reverse or prevent this condition, doctor-prescribed treatments such as eye drops and reading glasses can help treat symptoms.
There are also natural treatments you can try at home that can improve your overall eye health. These include:
- increasing your intake of vitamins A, C, and E
- adding more zinc, lutein, and omega-3 fatty acids to your diet
- making lifestyle changes such as:
- quitting smoking (if you smoke)
- taking eye rest breaks during your workday
- wearing sunglasses when you’re outdoors
Do talk with a doctor about your presbyopia and before starting a new diet or taking supplements.
