Healthy Eye Care Habits to Put Into Practice
When it comes to protecting your eyesight, some simple lifestyle practices can not only safeguard your overall health, but also preserve healthy vision. While hereditary factors can affect your eye health, worsening eyesight as we age isn’t always about chance. Here are ten healthy eye care habits that can help protect your eye health.
Eat healthy
Different types of fruits and veggies, especially leafy greens like spinach, kale, and collard greens are superfoods for your eyes! Fish like salmon, tuna, have been shown to help your eyes, too. Adding key nutrients to your daily diet can not only preserve your vision, but reduce the risk of certain eye diseases.
Get active
Exercises that get your heart rate up will lower your blood pressure. For example, committing to 30 minutes of physical movement each day will help ease your muscles and improve blood circulation – this helps your overall eye health too!
Wash your hands often
Washing your hands is the most important step you can take when preventing the spread of germs. If you need another reason to wash your hands, touching your eyes increases the risk of eye infections, so don’t skip this step.
Contact lens safety
Wearing contact lenses increase your chances of eye infections and other issues. Always remember to wash your hands before inserting or removing your contact lenses.
Wear your shades
Too much sun exposure can lead to cataracts, macular degeneration, and other serious eye problems later in life. Opt for sunglasses that block 99% or 100% of both UVA and UVB radiation from the sun. Luckily, adult and youth sunglasses at Dr. Tavel come with UV protection built-in, so all you have to worry about is finding the right pair for you!
Give your eyes a screen break
Too much screen time can result in eye strain, which includes symptoms like headaches, blurred vision, and dry eyes. A good rule of thumb is to remember the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes focus on something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. Allowing yourself to look away from the screen and give your eyes a much-needed break can increase your productivity and protect your eyes from getting overworked.
No smoking
Smoking harms nearly every organ in your body — including your eyes. According to All About Vision– Smokers are three times more likely to develop Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) than people who have never smoked. Early signs of vision loss from AMD can include unusually fuzzy or distorted vision or shadowy areas in your central vision.
Maintain your blood sugar levels
People with diabetes are twice as likely to develop cataracts. Maintaining your blood glucose levels can delay the onset of cataracts. 90% of blindness caused by diabetes is preventable, so prioritize seeing your eye doctor regularly.
Wear eye protection
Safety glasses should be worn any time you are working with anything that could harm your eyes. Safety glasses can prevent foreign objects or debris from damaging your eyes. Yard work, cleaning with harmful chemicals, construction, and other dangerous jobs can harm your vision. Not sure what safety glasses you need? Ask of our eyecare experts!
Ask about your family history
Genetics plays a key role in eye disease. Research your family’s health history and notify your optometrist of any eye diseases that run in your family.
Keep track of any changes to your vision
If you’re struggling to focus or noticing a sudden blur of vision, it’s important to see your eye doctor. This could be a result of a change in your vision or other serious issues, like cataracts. Please note that many eye diseases like macular degeneration or glaucoma don’t always have early warning signs, and have a better prognosis if we can diagnose and treat them early. The sooner you make the choice to see an eye doctor, the better chance you will have of preventing vision loss and maintaining your health.
Stay on top of your eye health
Dr. Tavel is committed to helping Hoosiers see better, look better and feel better. Schedule an annual eye exam online or by calling us at 844-GO-TAVEL.