Seniors Moving To Southwest Florida Are At Risk Of Losing Their Sight

So here's something to consider before moving to Southwest Florida. Coming here may cost you your eye sight. That's according to a new study conducted by the University Of Toronto. In the study they linked serious vision impairment to the average temperature of where you lived. This study was conducted on Americans aged 65 or older. US Census Data shows that 21% of Fort Myers, Florida residents and 52% of Naples residents fit in that category. For Port Charlotte, it's 32%

Over 5 years, the University conducted surveys of 1.7 million Americans all aged 65 or older. The study states "The question on vision impairment was “Is this person blind or does he/she have serious difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses?” Then they used data from NOAA to determine the average temperature data from the respondents region.

American seniors living in warmer areas of the United States were more likely to have serious vision impairment than those living in cooler areas. To put it simply, living where it's warm year round has a negative effect on your eyesight. It breaks down to this:

"The odds of severe vision impairment were 14% higher for those who lived in counties with average temperature between 50-54.99°F, 24% higher for those between 55-59.99°F and 44% higher for those in counties with average temperature at 60°F (15.5 °C) or above."

According to Climate data, Naples and Fort Myers have an average temperature of 74 degrees. Well above the highest range of the study. Port Charlotte is no better with an average temperature of 73 degrees. This means more than half of the residents of Naples, Florida are risking their eyesight living here. I have seen a lot of eye care places in Naples, so maybe this is already playing out.

The study showed that gender, race, or income levels made no difference. But why would living where it's warm be so damaging to your eyesight?

They're not sure. One idea might be higher exposure to UV rays. In areas such as Southwest Florida where it's warmer, there's more sunshine. The quality of the air could contribute. Or increased rate of eye infections. These are all just theories. Perhaps a folate deficiency could explain this. Folate is important to eyesight, but folate is extremely sensitive to destruction by heat and UV light. This is definitely a possibility and something that can be countered. To try to prevent a folate deficiency, eat foods such as spinach, liver, asparagus, and brussels sprouts. Leafy vegetables. Oranges and other citrus fruits are also high in folate. We're in Southwest Florida, it's not hard to find citrus fruits. Perhaps a vitamin supplement is also something else to consider when moving to Southwest Florida.

The University of Toronto plans to do a follow up study to see if the average temperature range of a region has a similar effect on hearing.

Were you born and raised here in the good ol’ state of Florida? Or at least lived here for 20 years? Well, if that’s the case then you are a true Floridian and you’ve definitely done all these nine things listed below! If you thought visiting the capital was on this list, keep thinking. Visiting Tallahassee is not on the list of things that make you a true Floridian. Fort Myers? Maybe.

What truly makes you a Floridian is going through some dumb, slightly serious, yet dangerous life experiences. A good example of that would be hunkering down for a category 1-2 hurricane instead of evacuating and seeing an alligator in the wild. This list doesn’t include visiting an amusement park like Disney World or Universal Studios. This list is full of true silly things us Floridians have done and experienced while living here. Scroll down below to see the entire list!

First and foremost, Florida is home to stunning beaches. There’s over 1,350 miles of coastline with pristine white sand, turquoise water, and extremely hot weather. One of the most famous places is Miami Beach to the very glamorous South Beach each one is amazing in it’s own way. The Gulf Coast beaches like Clearwater and Siesta Key are just as beautiful. It doesn’t matter what you’re looking for, there is a perfect beach for everyone. Visitors can enjoy different water activities like snorkeling, jet skiing, or just tanning in the hot sun.

Tampa ranks #2 on the list of Florida family vacations! Out of 400 towns in Florida they looked at hotel prices, number of restaurants, certain attractions including watersport and amusement parks. Florida is undeniably one of the best vacation destinations in the entire world. There’s tons of reasons why Florida continues to attract millions of visitors every year. From its stunning beaches, vibrant cities and diverse wildlife there’s always something fun to do. They have thrilling theme parks and offer a wide range of attractions for anyone’s travel interests and preferences. Scroll down to see all nine things that make you a true Floridian.

If you’ve lived in Florida long you know we deal with hurricane season every year. Some people are extra prepared for it to begin and most of us just wing it! As a matter of fact, depending on the category we either host a hurricane party or go to one we’ve been invited to by our friends. We most likely know we’ll lose power so bring a flash light, a 12 pack and lets party!

Alligator are everywhere in Florida and like to hide in retention ponds or even golf courses. Your chances of seeing one in the wild are pretty high! Alligators are known for their aggressive behavior and there’s been many encounters with humans in the new recently. Gators will most likely attack when they feel threatened. If you live in the state of Florida it’s important to understand their behavior and take necessary precautions to stay safe especially in alligator infested lakes.

It doesn’t have to be after the club necessarily, it could be a night out drinking. But a main staple here in Florida is to hit up a Waffle House early in the morning or if you’re dealing with a horrible hangover.

If there’s one thing we have it’s an abundance of lizards everywhere! They’re always running around and when it’s mating season you see them stick out their red throats looking for love. One thing we always did as kids was catching the lizards and then we would wear them as earrings. We’d gently open their mouths and have them hang off our finger or ear.

This isn’t even a question. If you grew up in Florida you have a favorite Pub sub. Even though they’re all delicious it’s a must to eat one every month. They’re the best!

Whether you’re going to the gun range or practicing outside Florida is known for their guns. If you’ve lived here for a while most likely you’ve had some target practice.

Whether you’re driving to Disney, Universal or Sea World you will 100% get caught in I-4 traffic. It doesn’t matter the time of day or night because there’s so many Florida visitors that have no idea where they’re driving. Always give yourself extra time when driving through or to Orlando.

It could look like a tropical storm outside especially in Summer but wait 5 minutes and it’ll be gone! You might not believe me. If you’re a true Floridian you’ve seen this happen more times than not.

When living in Florida you might learn about a lot of myths and one big one is the Zigzag run. Growing up you always hear that if an alligator runs at you, you should run in a zigzag pattern. This will help you avoid getting caught because they can’t follow you. FALSE! In fact, alligators can reach speeds of 25 mph, so you need to run as fast as you can, away from an alligator in a straight line if possible.