To prevent cataracts, you should eat a balanced diet and supplement riboflavin

As Taiwan's population ages, cataracts have become the most common eye disease faced by the elderly. How to prevent cataracts from occurring or worsening is a topic of concern. Ophthalmologists say that long-term exposure to ultraviolet radiation increases the risk of cataracts, and a balanced diet and avoiding smoking can also prevent the formation of cataracts.

Cataract patients should pay more attention to sun protection, not smoking, eating a balanced diet, and taking riboflavin supplements at the right time, which will help prevent the deterioration of cataracts.

Senile cataracts are mainly related to aging and the degeneration of the structure and function of the lens, and are usually unpreventable. Wang Sihong, chief ophthalmologist at Shutian Clinic, said that the best way to maintain your eyes is to pay more attention to eye health and vision, and to have regular eye examinations to assess the extent of cataract progression in order to determine the treatment plan.

As for how to prevent cataracts from worsening? For people with diabetes, cataracts occur earlier and progress faster than in normal people, which is related to the control of blood sugar. People with glaucoma sometimes need to use miotics to control intraocular pressure, but miotics will accelerate the progression of cataracts, so they should ask a doctor to assess their needs and dosage. Trauma to the eye may also lead to cataracts, which are more likely to occur in young people.

In addition, some systemic or local medications, such as steroids, miotics, a few psychiatric drugs and antiarrhythmic drugs, can also cause cataracts. If these drugs must be used frequently, you must follow the doctor's advice and see an ophthalmologist regularly. People with high myopia, retinal detachment, and retinitis pigmentosa are at a higher risk of developing cataracts than the average person, and regular follow-up checks are recommended.

Epidemiology shows that long-term exposure to ultraviolet radiation increases the risk of cataracts, so it is necessary to wear sunglasses in hot summer. Smoking also increases the risk. Doctors recommend that in addition to a balanced diet and not smoking, timely supplementation of riboflavin, vitamins C, E and carotene can reduce the risk of cataracts.