From the moment you wake up until you go to bed at night, your eyes are working to bring you the world. In fact, they deliver 80% of the information you take in every day — about your loved ones, your job, and all the things you love to see and do! That’s why it’s so important to keep them healthy and safe.
Promoting the importance of healthy vision and regular eye examinations is a daily undertaking for optometrists, but it's a message that's especially strong in May. EYEcenter wants you to remember that the health of your eyes can tell you a lot about the health of the rest of your body--often before symptoms show up elsewhere! That’s why it’s so important to have them checked regularly.
There is a lot you can do to ensure your vision and eyes are healthy.
Our recommendations include:
- Get regular eye examinations from your EYEcenter doctor. An eye exam is the only way to catch many eye diseases because there are no warning signs. Surprisingly many patients don’t even realize their visual acuity can easily be improved with glasses or contacts.
- Live a healthy lifestyle by maintaining a healthy weight, eating nutritious foods, abstaining from smoking and managing chronic conditions. Being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing diabetes and other systemic diseases, which in turn can lead to vision loss. These diseases include diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. Eating healthy foods high in omega 3 fatty acids, such as tuna and salmon can help with eye health. Dark green leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach are good also. Exercise improves circulation and improved circulation leads to increased blood flow. Good blood flow is vital for good eye health. Don’t smoke. Smoking is bad for your eyes and the rest of your body. It can increase the risk of developing macular degeneration and cataracts.
- Know your family history, because many eye diseases are hereditary. Knowing your family medical history is vital. It is important to know if any of your family members have been diagnosed with any eye diseases since many are hereditary. This makes you a higher risk of developing the diseases yourself.
- Use protective eyewear to prevent injuries on the job, while playing sports or doing simple chores around the home. Wear safety glasses. Even those around the house chores can lead to traumatic eye injuries. About 2,000 U.S. workers have job-related eye injuries that require medical treatment each day. Household chores, such as cleaning with abrasive detergents and bleach can easily cause eye injuries just from being splashed into the face and eyes. For athletes, wear those safety sports glasses. Baseballs and tennis balls can easily cause a retinal detachment if hitting the eye with enough force.
- Wear sunglasses to protect eyes from the sun's ultraviolet rays Get those shades out. Sunglasses help protect the eyes from damaging sun rays. Harmful or excessive sunlight exposure can cause cataracts, macular degeneration, and pterygiums. Make sure any sunglasses purchased have been approved to block 99 to 100% of both UVA and UVB rays. A wide-brimmed hat can help also.
The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
