May is Healthy Vision Awareness Month. When was the last time you had your eyes checked? When was the last time you got your prescription changed? Isn’t it time to care for your eyes? Here are a few tips to help keep your eyes healthy!
Quit Smoking
Smoking cigarettes leads to cataracts, optic nerve damage and macular degeneration along with many other health problems. If you’ve tried to kick the habit, only to fail and start again, keep trying. The more you do, the more likely you are to succeed. Talk with your doctor. There are many programs there available to help.
Protect Your Eyes
Too much UV exposure will increase your chances of cataracts and macular degeneration. Choose a pair of Sunglasses that will block 100 of UVA and UVB rays. Lenses that wrap around and protect your eyes from the side. Lenses that are polarized will help to reduce glare while you are driving, to help you see more clearly.
If your work or hobbies lead to environments that with hazardous or airborne materials wear safety glasses or goggles to protect your eyes. Sports like hockey and racquetball can also lead to eye injury. be sure to wear polycarbonate lenses to shield your eyes.
Watch Your Computer Screen Time
Staring at computer screens or phone screens for too long can lead to alot of eye complications, like eyestrain, blurry vision, dry eyes, and even headaches. To protect your eyes try these tips:
- Wear up-to-date prescription glasses or lenses
- Talk to your Dr about computer glasses if your eyestrain doesn’t go away
- Use an anti-glare screen and move your computer screen to be in your line of sight with your eyes focusing slightly downward
- Choose a supportive chair and position it so your feet are flat on the ground
- Use the 20-20-20 rule. Twenty minutes of screen time, look at least 20 feet away for twenty seconds.
- use artificial tears is you have dry eyes from extended computer time.
Eat Right
Eating right keeps your entire body healthy, not just your eyes. But there are certain nutrients and vitamins that specifically help your eyes. nutrients like Omega 3 Fatty Acids, lutein, zinc, and vitamins C and E. These nutrients will help to ward off cataracts, macular degenerations and more. You can find these vitamins and minerals in green leafy vegetables, oily fish, eggs, nuts, beans, non-meat proteins, oranges and other citrus fruits or juices and oysters and pork. Well balanced diets will help you lower the odds of obesity, diabetes and other diseases that can lead to blindness.
So take care of your eyes and be sure to get your eyes checked annually to keep your eyes healthy.
For more helpful eye care and vision care tips, please visit our main blog page.
Source: webmd.com