Prevent Blindness America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to vision issues, estimates that 50,000 people lose their sight needlessly every year and that 80 million Americans are at risk of eye diseases that can lead to low vision and even blindness.

The good news: The most common diseases -- age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), cataracts, glaucoma, and dry eye disease -- are all preventable to some extent. Read on to see (pun intended) how you can get Stealth Healthy protection for your peepers. Before we go any further, we have to tell you that the first step, if you smoke, is to stop. Smoking increases your risk of cataracts, glaucoma, dry eyes, and age-related macular degeneration.

1. Mix a cup of blueberries with a cup of yogurt for breakfast this morning.Blueberries are one of the richest fruit forms of antioxidants, and a study published inThe Archives of Ophthalmologyfound that women and men who ate the greatest amount of fruit were the least likely to develop age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the leading cause of blindness in older people.

2. Spread bilberry jam on your morning toast.Or take a bilberry supplement every morning. The berries contain compounds called anthocyanosides, which may protect the retina against macular degeneration.

3. Have spinach twice a week.Could be a spinach quiche, steamed spinach, or maybe Tuscan spinach -- sautéed in some olive oil with garlic and raisins. Regardless, be sure to get your spinach. Studies find that lutein, a nutrient that is particularly abundant in spinach, may prevent age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. Ideally, get your lutein in combination with some form of fat (olive oil works great) for the best absorption.

4. Cook with red onions, not yellow.Red onions contain far more quercetin, an antioxidant that is thought to protect against cataracts.

5. Aim your car vents at your feet -- not your eyes.Dry, air-conditioned air will suck the moisture out of eyes like a sponge. Aim the vents in your car away from your eyes, or wear sunglasses as a shield. Dry eyes can be more than an inconvenience; serious dryness can lead tocorneal abrasions and even blindness if left untreated.

6. Move your computer screen to just below eye level.Your eyes will close slightly when you're staring at the computer, minimizing fluid evaporation and the risk of dry eye syndrome, says John Sheppard, M.D., who directs the ophthalmology residency program at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia.

7. Take a multivitamin every day.Make it a habit, like brushing your teeth. A major study suggested that if every American at risk for age-related macular degeneration took daily supplements of antioxidant vitamins and zinc, more than 300,000 people could avoid ARMD-associated vision loss over the next five years. Other studies find that women who took vitamin C supplements for at least 10 years were 77 percent less likely to show initial signs of cataracts than those who took no supplemental C. So take a multi with at least 150 mg vitamin C, or take a separate C supplement.

8. Walk at least four times a week.Some evidence suggests that regular exercise can reduce the intraocular pressure, or IOP, in people with glaucoma. In one study, glaucoma patients who walked briskly four times per week for 40 minutes lowered their IOP enough so they could stop taking medication for their condition. It's also possible -- although there's no proof yet -- that walking could also reduce your overall risk of developing glaucoma.

9. Eat fish twice a week.A study from Harvard researchers presented at the 2003 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology's annual meeting evaluated the diets of 32,470 women and found those who ate the least amount of fish (thus getting the least amount of omega-3 fatty acids) had the highest risk of dry eye syndrome. Even tuna fish (yes, the kind that comes in a can) protected against the syndrome. If you can't stand fish, or are worried about mercury consumption, try fish-oil supplements to get your omega-3s.

10. Twice a week, walk away from greasy or sweet snacks.A 2001 study found that people whose diets were high in omega-3 fatty acids and low in omega-6 fatty acids (found in many fat-filled snack foods like commercially prepared pie, cake, cookies, and potato chips) were significantly less likely to develop ARMD than those whose diets were high in omega-6 fatty acids and low in omega-3 fatty acids. In fact, if your diet was high in omega-6 at all -- even if you still ate plenty of fish -- the protective effects of the omega-3 fatty acids disappeared.

11. Have sweet potatoes for dinner tonight.Since they are rich in vitamin A, these sweet spuds can help improve your night vision.

12. Turn down the heat in your house.Heat dries out the air, which, in turn, dries out your eyes. In the winter, you might also try adding some humidity with a humidifier or even bunching a lot of plants together in the room in which you spend the most time.

New Habits

13. Wear sunglasses whenever you leave the house.When researchers examined the relationship between exposure to sunlight and cataracts or ARMD in Chesapeake Bay fishermen, they found that fishermen who protected their eyes from the harsh glare of the sun and its damaging UV rays were significantly less likely to develop these conditions than those who went bare-eyed. Wear the sunglasses even when it's not sunny out, says Dr. Sheppard. They protect your eyes from the drying effects of wind.

14. Wear a broad-brimmed hat along with your sunglasses.A wide-brimmed hat or cap will block roughly 50 percent of the UV radiation and reduce the UV radiation that may enter your eyes from above or around glasses.

15. Pick some Southern greens for dinner tonight.Because they are high in lutein and zeaxanthin, greens like collards and kale (delicious when lightly steamed with a splash of hot pepper vinegar) may reduce your risk of developing both cataracts and ARMD, and may even slow progression of these diseases once they've begun. Both have strong antioxidant properties, which may help repair some of the damage that contributes to both conditions.

16. Roast some fresh beets for an eye-saving side dish.Beets get their deep red color from phytochemicals called anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants that protect the smaller blood vessels in your body, including those in your eyes.

17. Switch to "lite" salt or use spices and herbs instead of salt.Studies find that high-salt diets increase your risk of certain types of cataracts, so stay away from the salty stuff. And while you're de-salting your diet, don't forget the salt in processed foods. Check labels for "no-salt" or "no-sodium," or "low-salt" or "low-sodium" tags when buying canned and other prepared foods.

18. Dab an essential oil of jasmine, peppermint, or vanilla on your arm and sniff.Jasmine, says scent researcher Alan R. Hirsch, M.D., of the Chicago-based Smell and Taste Treatment Research Foundation, increases the beta waves in the frontal lobes of your brain, promoting wakefulness and enabling you to focus better and see things more acutely. All three scents stimulate the limbic system in your brain, which, in turn, stimulates the rods in your eyes, which help you see in dim light.

19. When you're working or reading, set your alarm to beep every 30 minutes.Use this as a reminder to look up and away from your computer or book to some distant point for 30 seconds. This helps prevent eye fatigue and eyestrain.

20. Check your blood pressure every month.You can do this yourself with a home blood pressure kit, at the doctor's office, or at the pharmacy. The two leading causes of blindness in the United States are high blood pressure and diabetes, both of which damage blood vessels.

21. Replace your mascara every three months and other eye makeup once a year.Eye makeupis a great repository for bacteria, which can easily be transferred to your eyes and cause infections.

22. Use eye makeup remover every night before going to bed.This prevents small pieces of mascara from winding up in your eye and possibly scratching your cornea.

23. Wear goggles when you're doing carpentry or even yard work.Debris in the eye can lead to corneal abrasions, which can ultimately damage your vision. Also use protective goggles when you're swimming to protect your eyes from the chlorine.

24. Use a fresh towel every time you wipe your face.Sharing face towels is a great way to get conjunctivitis, the infection also known as pinkeye.

為了防御美國的盲人問題，一個非贏利組織獻身于視力問題，它預測每年5萬人失去實力，8千萬美國人站在導致弱視、失明的眼疾病邊緣。

好消息是：很多疾病在一定程度上都有阻礙老年視網(wǎng)膜黃斑性病變、白內(nèi)障、青光眼、干的眼疾病的可能性。繼續(xù)讀來了解你怎樣使你的同輩人得到暗中的健康保護。在我們說得更多以前，我們必須告訴你：假如你抽煙，第一步是停止抽煙。抽煙增加你瘓上的白內(nèi)障、青光眼、干的眼疾病和老年視網(wǎng)膜黃斑性病變的危險性。

1 早餐食用一杯酸母乳和越桔的調(diào)配品。越桔是一種最富于抗氧化物的水果。一篇《眼科學檔案館≥出版的論文認為大量吃水果的男人和女人不容易漸漸患上老年視網(wǎng)膜黃斑病變（老年人失明的主要原因）。

2 在你的烤面包內(nèi)摸上越桔的果醬�；蛘呙刻斐栽浇垩a品。越桔是包括華氰氧化物的混合物，它可以防止網(wǎng)膜有斑點退化。

3 一星期吃兩次菠菜，可能是菠菜湯、蒸菠菜或者用橄欖油、蒜和葡萄干炒的托斯菠菜。無論如何，確保你吃到菠菜。研究表明，葉黃素可以阻止老年人網(wǎng)膜黃斑性病變或白內(nèi)障。

4 用紅蔥而不是黃蔥炒菜.紅蔥包括櫟精,一種被認定為抗白內(nèi)障的抗氧化劑。

5 把你汽車的排氣口對準你的腳—而不是你的眼睛。干燥空調(diào)的冷氣體會從眼睛內(nèi)吸出像海綿一樣潮氣。讓汽車的排氣口遠離你的眼睛，或者戴上墨鏡這個隔離罩。干燥的眼睛不僅僅是眼睛不舒服，假如過于干燥的眼睛不能治療會引起視網(wǎng)膜磨損甚至失明。

6 把電腦屏幕移動到低于視平線的位置。弗吉尼亞州弗吉尼亞醫(yī)學院的眼科學住院醫(yī)生的領(lǐng)導John Shepperd說，當你凝視電腦時，你的眼睛輕微地閉合，減少了眼睛水分的蒸發(fā)和干眼睛綜合病癥的危害。

7 每天服用多種維生素。把吃維生素當成像刷牙一樣的習慣。專業(yè)研究表明，假如患有老年人網(wǎng)膜黃斑性病的美國人每天服用抗氧化劑的維生素C和鋅，3百萬人在5年多內(nèi)有可能避免視力衰退。其他研究表明服用10年以上維生素C的女性比有白內(nèi)障初期跡象的未服其者少77%。所以服用含有至少150mg的維生素C的各種食物，或者單獨服用維生素C的補品。

8 一星期至少散步4次。一些證據(jù)表明經(jīng)常的運動可以降低病人的眼內(nèi)壓力或者青光眼。在研究中，青光眼病人們每天快速步行40分鐘，他們完全降低了他們的IOP以至于他們能停止服用治療青光眼所需的藥品。雖然沒有證據(jù)，但散步很有可能減少你青光眼的進一步發(fā)展風險。

9 一星期吃兩次魚。哈佛大學研究家在2003年建立了視力研究聯(lián)盟，他們在眼科年度會議上評估了32470女士的飲食，發(fā)現(xiàn)食魚量最少的人（那么得到最低量的歐米加-3脂肪酸）患干眼綜合癥的危險性最高。甚至連有魚也防御這個綜合癥。假如你不能堅持吃魚，或擔心汞消費，試一試魚油補品來彌補你的歐米加-3。

10 一星期兩次遠離脫脂或甜味小吃。研究表明食用歐米加-3多歐米加-6 少的人比食用歐米加-6多歐米加-3少的人患ARMD的可能性少。（發(fā)現(xiàn)許多脂肪酸食物，如準備好的派、蛋糕、小甜餅、土豆片。）假如你的吃的歐米加-6 很高—甚至假如你仍然吃魚—歐米加-3的保護效果也會消失。

11 每天晚上吃甜土豆。因為甜土豆維生素A多，它們能幫助你提高夜間視力。

12 降低你室內(nèi)溫度。熱量使空氣干燥，接下來使你眼睛干燥。在冬天，你可以用濕潤器增加房間濕度，或者甚至在你長時間呆的房間里大量擺放植物。

13 無論何時離開房子務(wù)必戴墨鏡。當研究者在切薩比克灣調(diào)查漁民白內(nèi)障或ARMD和暴露于陽光的關(guān)系后，他們發(fā)現(xiàn)漁民在烈日及其含有UV的光線下保護自己的眼睛，他們比凸眼睛的人患病率更少。博士Shepperd說甚至沒有陽光也要戴眼鏡。他們預防眼睛受干燥的風的影響。

14 寬邊帽子和太陽鏡一起戴。寬邊帽子和頭巾阻擋50%的太陽輻射，減少從鏡片四周進入你眼睛的太陽輻射。

15 挑選一些南方植物作晚餐。因為綠色植物如羽衣甘藍、薺藍含有大量的葉黃素、玉米黃質(zhì)（用一點熱胡椒和醋稍微蒸一蒸香），它們可以減少你白內(nèi)障、ARMD 的發(fā)展風險，假如你有了這種病，它們可以減少病的惡化。它們都有強烈的幫助修復危害機制、有助于健康的抗氧化劑的性能。

16 把烘甜菜根作為眼睛治療食物。甜菜根因為稱作花青素的植物化學物質(zhì)變得通紅，有強有力的抗氧化劑作用，能保護你體內(nèi)的血管（包括眼睛）變得更小。

17 用清淡的鹽或香料和草本植物來代替鹽。研究表明含鹽量高的食物在一定程度上增加你患白內(nèi)障的危險性，所以遠離鹽味重物質(zhì)。當你降低食物鹽成分時，不要忘記在腌制食物中放鹽。當買罐裝食品或其他精致食品時，檢查商標有無鹽、鈉標簽或低鹽、低鈉標簽。

18 在你的胳膊、鼻子上抹提煉的茉莉花油、薄荷油、香草油。最近的研究家，芝加哥味覺治療研究中心M.D.Alan R.Hirsch,M.D.說茉莉能在你大腦的額葉邊緣增加測試波，提高覺醒程度，使你注意力集中，看得更敏銳。這3種香味刺激你大腦的邊緣系統(tǒng)，相反，刺激你眼睛中的桿狀細胞，讓你在黑暗中看到光明。

19 當你正工作或讀書時，讓你的鬧鐘30分鐘響一次。用這個作暗示，30分鐘內(nèi)遠離一次你的電腦或書向遠處看。這樣可以阻止你的眼睛過度疲勞或緊張。

20 每個月檢驗你的血壓。在醫(yī)生辦公室或藥店自己用血壓工具檢驗。在美國失明的兩個主要原因是高血壓和糖尿病。兩者都對血脈有危害。

21 每個月?lián)Q一次你的睫毛膏，一年換一次你的其他眼睛化妝品。眼睛化妝品是細菌的最好貯藏室，細菌很容易被轉(zhuǎn)移到你的眼睛里，導致眼睛發(fā)炎。

22 每晚在睡覺前用眼睛化妝品去除劑。這阻止小片睫毛膏進入你的眼睛，擦傷你的角膜。

23 當你干木活甚至院子活時戴護目鏡。碎片在眼睛中會導致角膜擦傷，最終危害你的視力。當你游泳時用護眼鏡來防止你的眼睛不受氯的危害。

24 每次洗臉用干凈的毛巾。公用洗臉毛巾是導致結(jié)膜炎的主要途徑，這種炎癥是眾所周知的“紅眼病”。