Not Just a Factor of Age, Here's an Effective Way to Maintain the Health of the Elderly and Eyeglasses Users

Eye examination in the Holywings Peduli program (doc. Ist)

JAKARTA - Vision health is often overlooked, especially among the elderly. In fact, as people age, the risk of various eye complaints such as presbyopia, cataracts, and glaucoma increases.

Therefore, implementing a healthy lifestyle and performing periodic eye refraction examinations are the main keys to maintaining optimal vision function and maintaining quality of life.

Optisien Refraksionis from Optik99K, Naovalia Ayu Hanifah, A.Md, RO, explained that most vision disorders can actually be treated quickly if detected early through regular medical examinations.

"Many people only check their eyes after their vision is already quite disturbed. In fact, periodic examinations are very important to find out changes in vision function from the beginning," said Novalia, during a health seminar at Ambyar Superclub Cikini, Central Jakarta, Sunday, August 2.

"With the right glasses and a healthy lifestyle, vision quality can be maintained and daily activities become more comfortable," he continued.

Naovalia explained that there are various types of vision disorders that are most often experienced by the Indonesian people. Starting from minus eyes (myopia), plus eyes (hyperopia), astigmatism (cylinder), to conditions triggered by exposure factors to gadgets such as dry eyes.

Meanwhile, in the elderly group, threats such as cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy due to uncontrolled blood sugar diseases are things that must be watched out for.

For those who have been using glasses for years, Naovalia shares a number of preventive steps so that eye health conditions do not get worse. One of them is the implementation of the 20-20-20 rule when working in front of a gadget or computer screen.

"Apply the 20-20-20 rule when working in front of a screen: every 20 minutes, shift your gaze to an object about 20 feet (about 6 meters) away for 20 seconds," he said.

He added that maintaining daily nutritional intake also plays a crucial role. Consumption of fresh fruits rich in vitamins A, C, E, and antioxidants is highly recommended to maintain blood vessel and eye retina health. Fruits such as oranges, guava, strawberries, avocados, and papaya are excellent sources of nutrients for the eyes.

Regarding the frequency of examinations, Naovalia suggests that users of glasses or contact lenses should have a refraction examination at least once a year to ensure that the lens prescription used is still appropriate. Meanwhile, for adults without complaints, the ideal examination is done every 1 to 2 years.

The importance of maintaining the vision health of the elderly was also emphasized in the free eye examination, free glasses distribution, and eye health education activities organized through the Holywings Care program. This social activity was enthusiastically welcomed by hundreds of residents, especially the elderly from Cikini Village who need visual aids.

Holywings Group President Commissioner and Head of the Holywings Peduli CSR Program, Andrew Susanto, revealed that the level of public concern for the health of the elderly's eyes still needs to be improved on an ongoing basis.

"Through this program, we want to help people continue to carry out their daily activities comfortably. Good vision will improve the quality of life of a person," said Andrew.

"We hope that this free eyeglass aid and eye health education can provide real benefits while increasing public awareness to routinely check eye health," he added.

In addition to providing free eye medical services and distributing glasses, the event also held the handover of assistance for community activities facilities to residents of Cikini Village. Assistance in the form of a place to bathe the dead, portable speakers, mixers, tables, folding chair units, and health check tools were symbolically handed over to the village.