As you age, you may notice subtle shifts in your vision—difficulty reading in low light, increased glare from headlights, or colors that seem less vivid. While these changes can feel like a normal part of getting older, they could also be early signs of cataracts, a common condition that causes the lens of your eye to become cloudy over time.
At Prima CARE in Fall River, MA, our experienced optometrists provide personalized, preventive eye care designed to help you maintain clear, healthy vision well into your later years. Whether you're managing existing eye concerns or simply due for your annual exam, our optometry and ophthalmology team is here to support your eyesight with expert care. Schedule your eye exam today to stay proactive about your long-term vision health.
Let’s explore the lifestyle choices, habits, and medical care that can help prevent cataracts and keep your vision sharp as you age.
Understanding Cataracts: What You Should Know
Cataracts are one of the most common age-related eye conditions, but many people don’t fully understand how they develop or that they can take steps to protect their vision. A cataract forms when the normally clear lens inside your eye becomes cloudy, interfering with the way light passes through and ultimately making your vision appear blurred, dim, or hazy.
While cataracts typically progress slowly over time, they can significantly interfere with daily activities such as reading, driving, or recognizing faces, especially in low light. Although aging is the primary factor, cataracts are not an inevitable part of growing older. Several medical and lifestyle-related risks can speed up their development. Understanding those risks is the first step toward prevention.
Key Risk Factors for Cataracts
Cataracts are most often associated with aging, but they are influenced by a range of controllable and uncontrollable factors. Here are the primary contributors:
1. Aging
The natural aging process leads to changes in the proteins within the lens of the eye. Over time, these proteins begin to break down and clump together, forming cloudy areas that reduce the lens’s ability to focus light properly. Most individuals begin noticing cataract-related vision changes between the ages of 60 and 75, though early signs can appear earlier.
2. Diabetes
People living with diabetes face a significantly higher risk of developing cataracts, often at a younger age. Elevated blood sugar levels can alter the chemical structure of the eye’s lens, accelerating clouding. Managing blood glucose levels is essential to protecting long-term vision in diabetic patients.
3. Smoking and Excessive Alcohol Use
Tobacco smoke introduces toxins and oxidative stress that damage lens proteins, speeding up cataract formation. Similarly, heavy alcohol consumption can contribute to lens degeneration. Quitting smoking and moderating alcohol use are important steps to reduce cataract risk and support overall health.
4. Prolonged UV Exposure
Extended exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays, particularly without proper eye protection, can damage the cells and proteins in your eye’s lens. Over time, this damage accumulates and contributes to earlier or more severe cataract development. Wearing UV-blocking sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats while outdoors is a simple but effective preventive measure.
5. Long-Term Steroid Use or Eye Trauma
Prolonged use of corticosteroid medications (especially oral or high-dose steroids) is associated with an increased risk of cataracts. Additionally, past eye injuries—even from years earlier—can trigger internal changes that lead to lens clouding.
Protective Nutrition and Healthy Habits for Cataract Prevention
While cataracts are often associated with aging, lifestyle choices can play a powerful role in delaying their onset and slowing their progression. Daily habits—particularly what you eat, how you care for your body, and your overall wellness—can directly influence your long-term eye health.
Eat a Diet Rich in Eye-Supporting Nutrients
Your eyes are especially vulnerable to oxidative stress, which can contribute to the breakdown of proteins in the lens. Consuming antioxidant-rich foods helps neutralize this damage and may lower your risk of developing cataracts.
Focus on adding the following to your daily diet:
- Leafy Greens: Spinach, kale, and collard greens are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin—two antioxidants that concentrate in the lens and retina and protect against UV damage.
- Bright Orange Vegetables: Carrots and sweet potatoes contain beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, which supports healthy vision and immune function.
- Vitamin C-Rich Fruits: Citrus fruits, strawberries, and bell peppers are high in vitamin C, which supports the health of the lens and may slow cataract development.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines contain omega-3s, which promote overall eye health and may reduce inflammation that can contribute to degenerative eye conditions.
Quit Smoking and Limit Alcohol Intake
Both smoking and heavy alcohol consumption are known to increase oxidative stress throughout the body, including the eyes. Smoking, in particular, has been shown to double the risk of cataract formation.
Quitting smoking at any age offers significant health benefits, including for your vision. Reducing or moderating alcohol consumption also supports healthier eye tissues and reduces your risk of cataract development.
Stay Hydrated and Maintain a Healthy Weight
Hydration is often overlooked in eye health, but staying well-hydrated supports the natural lubrication and nutrient delivery to the eyes. Dehydration may exacerbate existing eye issues and increase stress on eye tissues.
In addition, maintaining a healthy weight helps reduce the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure, both of which are linked to earlier or more severe cataract progression.
Healthy weight management supports better circulation and metabolic health, both of which play a role in preserving your eyesight.
The Importance of Regular Eye Exams
Even if your vision seems stable, routine eye exams are one of the most effective ways to protect your eyesight, especially as you age. Many eye conditions, including cataracts, develop gradually and without noticeable symptoms at first. By the time vision changes become apparent, the condition may already be advanced.
At Prima CARE in Fall River, our experienced optometrists—Dr. Louis Aguiar, O.D., and Dr. Nicole Centracchio, O.D., provide comprehensive eye evaluations designed to detect even the earliest signs of concern. Annual exams are not just about checking your prescription—they’re a critical tool for preserving long-term eye health.
During a routine eye exam, our team can:
- Monitor for early signs of cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and other age-related eye conditions
- Track vision changes over time, adjusting your prescription for glasses or contacts as needed
- Assess overall eye health, including checking the retina, optic nerve, and lens clarity
- Coordinate referrals to our ophthalmologist if surgical evaluation or advanced medical treatment is appropriate
Early detection gives you more treatment options and a better chance of preserving your vision.
The Role of UV Protection in Cataract Prevention
Protecting your eyes from ultraviolet (UV) exposure is a simple yet powerful step in reducing your risk of cataracts. While many people associate sunglasses with outdoor comfort, their true value lies in safeguarding your long-term vision.
Wear UV-Blocking Sunglasses Daily
Choose sunglasses that offer 100% UVA and UVB protection. This shield helps reduce cumulative damage to the eye’s natural lens, a major contributor to cataract formation over time. Be sure to wear them year-round, even on overcast days, as UV rays can penetrate through clouds and still reach your eyes.
Add a Wide-Brimmed Hat for Extra Coverage
Complementing your sunglasses with a wide-brimmed hat provides additional protection by limiting direct sunlight and glare from above. This simple combination can significantly lower the UV exposure that contributes to lens clouding and other forms of ocular damage.
Managing Health Conditions That Impact Vision
Your overall health plays a direct role in the health of your eyes. Chronic conditions—especially diabetes—can accelerate cataract development and increase the risk of other vision-threatening diseases.
At Prima CARE, we believe in integrated, whole-person care. If you’re managing diabetes, high blood pressure, or another long-term medical condition, our optometry team collaborates closely with your primary care provider to monitor how these factors may affect your eyes.
Why This Matters:
- Uncontrolled blood sugar can alter the structure of the eye’s lens and accelerate cataract progression.
- High blood pressure and poor circulation can contribute to a range of retinal and vascular complications that affect your vision.
By working together with your full care team, we ensure your vision care remains closely aligned with your overall health plan, offering timely, proactive support to help prevent avoidable complications.
How Prima CARE Supports Your Eye Health
Since 1991, Prima CARE has been a trusted provider of personalized care in Fall River. Our optometry and ophthalmology team offers full-spectrum eye services, including:
- Comprehensive eye exams
- Vision testing and prescription updates
- Detection of cataracts and other eye diseases
- Referrals for cataract surgery and specialty care
- Preventive guidance for age-related eye changes
Our optometrists, Dr. Aguiar and Dr. Centracchio, provide ongoing care to monitor your vision and offer preventive strategies tailored to your health and lifestyle.
If surgery is needed, our ophthalmologist can provide expert evaluation and referrals for procedures like cataract removal or LASIK.
You’ll find us conveniently located at 289 Pleasant Street in Fall River, MA. We’re here to support your vision today—and protect it for tomorrow.
Protect Your Vision for the Long Term
Cataracts may be a common part of aging, but with early detection and smart lifestyle choices, they don’t have to impact your quality of life. From healthy nutrition to UV protection and routine eye exams, you have the power to take care of your vision every step of the way.
Let Prima CARE be your partner in lifelong eye health. Contact us today to schedule your next eye exam and take a proactive step toward protecting your vision.
