b'HEALTH CHECKExercise and Eyesight Lackofexercisecontributessignificantlytoseveraleyeconditions,High blood pressure (severe hypertension) can cause leakage and bleeding particularly amongst people aged 60 and over. Exercise may reduce thefrom the blood vessels in the eye and rarely swelling of the optic nerves risk of sight loss from narrowing or hardening of the arteries, high bloodwith loss of vision. Regular exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of pressure and diabetes.developing high blood pressure and will also help keep the blood pressure down once hypertension has developed. Narrowingandhardeningofthearteries(arterio-sclerosis)occurstoDiabetes occurs when the natural insulin hormone control some extent in all of us during life and is influenced by the balance ofof blood sugar levels becomes defective. Over years different fats. Narrowing of the arteries can block off the blood supply tothis leads to narrowing and blockage of the smaller those areas we need for vision, which include the brain (visual cortex) andblood vessels in the body. The resulting poor blood the blood supply to the eyes. Exercise reduces the risk of this blockage andsupply commonly affects the retina (film) in the eyes should therefore preserve sight.of patients with diabetes where the blood vessels can leak and bleed and produce scarring which can cause loss of vision. Lack of exercise and obesity can lead to Type 2 diabetes and regular exercise can improve diabetes control andtherefore, should reduce the chance of developing sight threatening diabetic retinopathy. Healthy ArteryNarrowing Artery Obesityis strongly associated with diabetes and high blood pressure in later life and as such regular exercise should help prevent and reduce obesity and the potential associated sight-threatening complications. Other FactorsAlcoholExcessive alcohol consumption can lead to serious health conditions which can have a detrimental effect on your eye health. Smoking After ageing, smoking is the biggest risk factor for developing macular degeneration. Smoking also increases your risk of developing cataract. The Sun Protecting your eyes from the sun is very important and should not be underestimated. Under no circumstances should you ever look at the sun directly. Your sunglasses should have the CE mark on them which ensures that they are giving you the right level of ultraviolet protection.ResourcesThis years National Eye Health Week (held 18th -24th September) is fast approaching, and its official website is constantly releasing interesting and interacting content including, vision matter podcast episodes, eye health calculator, sigh loss simulator and eye health questionnaire. To access all these resources for free, visit their official website below.Vision MattersThe Networker Summer 2023 19.'