As important as they may be, we sometimes take our eyes for granted. To show our gratitude, and keep them working properly, we should always remember to treat our eyes well and take good care of them. Luckily, proper eye maintenance isn’t a difficult task to accomplish, so long as you know what to do!
Read on and we’ll walk you through some easy and important tips to help keep your eyes healthy.
1. Get Regular Eye Exams
Routine eye exams are extremely helpful because they can be used to detect eye diseases and vision problems in their early stages.
If you’re worried about your eyes, it’s recommended that you visit an ophthalmologist who not only does eyes exams but treats other eye problems as well. For example, at Gulf Eye Center, they not only offer regular eye exams but also perform a range of eye-enhancing procedures including cataract surgery and Lasik.
When you visit your ophthalmologist, be sure to get a comprehensive dilated eye exam. Keep in mind this is different than the vision exam used to determine your eyeglasses prescription strength.
When your pupils are dilated, it allows your doctor to see what is going on within your retina. By doing this, they can check and see how healthy your eyes really are. Many diseases including diabetes, glaucoma, and macular degeneration can be detected early on with a dilated eye exam.
2. Wear Sunglasses
Your skin isn’t the only part of you that needs to be protected from the sun’s UV rays. Your eyes need it too. Too much exposure to UV can lead to cataracts, macular degeneration and other diseases including cancer.
But not all sunglasses are created equal. When shopping for a new pair of shades, be sure that they block 100% of UVA and UVB rays. You can also wear a visor or hat to help protect your eyes even more.
3. Eat Healthy
Eating right and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help your eyes and vision in more ways than one. Certain foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids such as tuna and salmon can help keep vision problems at bay. Leafy greens like kale and spinach are also great for this.
Also, carrots are known to improve the health of your eyes by supplying your body with vitamin A. A vitamin A deficiency can lead to cornea erosion and even blindness.
Eating a well-balanced diet is also beneficial because it can help prevent diseases such as type-2 diabetes, which happens to be the number one cause for blindness in adults.
4. Use Protective Eyewear
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics: 90% of all eye injuries are preventable by wearing protective eyewear. Your eyes are at risk in a variety of scenarios including when working with tools, doing yard work, and playing sports.
Important: The majority of lenses in protective eyewear are made from polycarbonate, which is 10 times stronger than other plastics.
And if you work in an office, you should consider protecting your eyes not from physical objects but from light. All of those digital screens you look at constantly emit levels of blue light. Some blue light is necessary as it regulates our sleep cycle but too much can strain your eyes, give you headaches, and disrupt your sleep.
Don’t Leave Your Eye Vitality Up to Chance For many of us, our eyes are vital to living our lives to their fullest extent. But our eyes can’t survive on autopilot. Remember to show your eyes (and the rest of your body) some love and treat them with respect so they can be strong enough to return the favor.
