When we talk about “cognitive and eye health”, we are referring to the many reasons that can cause disease or damage to eyesight. Even the changes that our body undergoes due to age affect our health and are, in a way, inevitable. However, there are preventive measures that we can put into our routine to avoid worsening these diseases.
In addition to mental illnesses that affect vision, such as Alzheimer’s and dementia, mental skills can and should be developed to prevent your eyes from wearing out before their time – especially in a world immersed in electronics all day long.
Major eye diseases
Vision problems can arise after birth or develop throughout life. These changes can arise from trauma, injury, genetic factors, etc.
The most common problems can be treated through the use of glasses, contact lenses, and other known solutions, however, there are also conditions that require surgery or are irreversible.
Myopia
Myopia is recognized by the difficulty in seeing far away, which causes other symptoms because of the strain placed on vision, such as headaches.
Although it affects far vision, people with myopia usually have good near vision.
Hyperopia
Hyperopia is qualified by the difficulty in seeing objects up close, different from myopia. Usually this disease appears from birth, causing eye strain, headaches, and also difficulty concentrating.
Astigmatism
Astigmatism is a very common vision problem. It can easily be identified when there is confusion between similar letters, such as M and N. It blurs their vision and they can hardly see straight lines.
Presbyopia
Presbyopia is the most common vision problem after the age of 40 because the eye naturally ages, making it difficult to focus on close objects. People who suffer from presbyopia hold books or newspapers at a greater distance to be able to read, for example.
Strabismus
When the two eyes are not aligned, we call it strabismus. After the age of 2, it is more common for this to happen because of a disorder of the muscles in each eye, which results in double vision and, consequently, headaches.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a vision problem caused by increased pressure in the eye. In most cases, there are no symptoms.
Severe eye pain, blurred vision, and redness are rarely present. Symptoms may appear suddenly or over time, depending on the type of glaucoma.
Cataract
Cataracts arise as a natural part of the aging of the eye, so they are more common in the elderly, and can cause signs such as the appearance of albuginea in the eye, decreased vision, and increased sensitivity to light.
How to improve cognitive and eye Health
Any prescription that helps the health of our eyesight is welcome, after all, our eyes play an indispensable role. Cognitive health is directly related to our perception, and thus has links to our ability to reason and understand.
Even though it is normal that this health diminishes with the years, turning your attention to this area is taking care of your body’s future, check out some methods that can help:
Sleep well
Most people know the importance of good sleep and may have even felt the effects of sleepless nights. Not enough sleep affects our brains, making us feel tired and unable to concentrate.
Furthermore, a study by the Pasqual Maragall Foundation, which specializes in Alzheimer’s research, shows that in the long term they further impair cognitive ability.
They discovered relationships in changes in brain structure and poor sleep at night, and in doing so showed an interesting link between insomnia and the development of this neurodegenerative disease.
Good nutrition
Our body’s cells need a certain amount of all nutrients. Not consuming them in the ideal form and quantity can impair the proper functioning of the body and trigger other problems.
A good diet should favor all areas of the body, assisting in the proper functioning and improving the health of the entire organism.
Studies prove the relationship between healthy eating, physical exercise, and improvement in brain and cognitive function.
A great ally for health in this area is omega 3. This essential fatty acid is found mainly in fish such as salmon, sardines, and tuna.
A study published in Medline reported that babies of mothers supplemented with DHA score higher in psychological processing, psychomotor development, and eye-hand coordination.
If this food is not part of your diet for some reason, be sure to invest in your health through supplementation.
Drink coffee
Coffee is known as the fuel that activates the brain, but it can also improve cognitive abilities – that’s because caffeine is one of the most widely consumed psychostimulants in the world.
In the brain, caffeine works by blocking the effects of adenosine and increasing the firing of neurons. In addition, other neurotransmitters are released when drinking coffee, which improves mood, reaction time, memory, and wakefulness – even if only temporarily.
For those who don’t like coffee or don’t want to disturb their sleep at night, matcha is another option. This tea comes from the same family as green tea. In addition to caffeine, it also contains L-theanine.
L-theanine is an amino acid that can improve concentration and focus without disturbing sleep. This is because it provides the feeling of relaxation that is essential at this time.
Each person has a different tolerance to caffeine, so pay attention to the amount you consume. We have prepared a text explaining more about this so that you can consume coffee in a conscious way and enjoy all the benefits.
