U.S. Health Watch

When the normally clear lens of the eye have a painless clouding, it is called cataract. If you do not treat it in time, it causes blindness. Surgical treatment can however, cure it in time. Most of the people over 60 do suffer from some clouding of the lens. But you can prevent them or treat them by following the simple home remedies below.

If you have cataracts or want to prevent them, do the following simple home remedies to take care of the situation:

1. Drink orange juice: Increasing your intake of Vitamin C will reduce the risk of developing cataracts. It is recommended that you take two times the recommended dietary allowance of Vitamin C to protect against the occurrence of cataract. That means you should include 11/2 cup of strawberries, 1 cup of orange juice or 2 oranges.

2. Take beta-carotene and Vitamin E: Research has shown that increasing the beta-carotene and Vitamin E intake offer some protection against cataract. Have more of orange and yellow vegetables like carrots, squash and sweet potatoes for beta-carotene and almonds, fortified cereals, peanut butter and sun flower seeds for Vitamin E.

3. Use sunglasses or hat: Covering your eyes by sunglasses or hats while out in the sun has shown to reduce the incidences of cataracts. Choose sunglasses that have UV protection. There is no need to spend a lot of money on designer glasses. You can purchase sunglasses from the local shops too.

4. Look away from harmful radiation: Whenever you are near a microwave, oven or x-ray, always look away. Though many manufacturers claim that their microwaves are safe, it is always better to avoid looking at them in order to protect the eyes. The same holds true for x-rays.

5. Control your drinking habits: Having occasional drinks will not harm your eyes. But prolonged drinking will certainly harm your eyes. This is because alcohol interferes with the nutritional supplies to the lenses and thus leads to cataract formation. Even the alcoholics having good diets can have cataracts due to the interference of the alcohol with the nutrient supply to the eye.

6. Stop smoking: Research has shown that smokers are more likely to develop cataract than non-smokers. Toxic substances from the smoke of a cigarette damage the lens nucleus and thus cause cataract. When you quit smoking, you have the risk of developing cataracts.

7. Take pain relievers: People who take pain relievers like aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen have a reduced risk of developing cataracts. This is due to the fact that these drugs, the rate at which your body uses glucose and lesser the blood sugar, lower is your risk of developing cataract. This is also one of the reasons why diabetics are more prone to cataracts.