May Is Healthy Vision Month: Learn 5 Ways To Better Protect Your Eyes
This month, we’re joining with the National Eye Institute to urge people to take better care of their eye health.
Protect your eyes by incorporating these 5 tips into your life!
1. Get A Dilated Eye Exam
Most eye problems go undetected until irreparable damage is already done. In a dilated eye exam, we use eyedrops to widen your pupil and examine your retina. This allows us to see early signs of dangerous eye disorders like glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, and macular degeneration.
2. Live A Healthy Lifestyle
Your daily habits can determine how well your body’s systems work, including your eyesight. Your body and eyes need regular exercise and proper sleep in order to function properly. A healthy diet provides the tools your eyes need to protect and regenerate themselves. This includes omega 3 fatty acids from foods like salmon, flax seeds and walnuts, as well as vitamins and minerals from plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
And speaking of daily habits, one of the very best things you can do to protect your eyesight is to quit smoking, or never start. Smoking has been linked to cataracts, macular degeneration, and optic nerve damage.
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3. Know Your Family History
Many eye diseases have genetic links. For example, if someone in your family has glaucoma, you’re 4-9 times more likely to have it too. By looking at your family history, we can know what to guard against.
4. Use Protective Eyewear
Every year, 42,000 sports-related eye injuries are treated in ERs. Don’t fool yourself into thinking it can’t happen to you! Vision-threatening accidents happen in the kitchen, in the garage, while you’re working in the yard or on your car, and while you’re on vacation. Protect your eyes whenever there’s a risk!
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5. Wear Sunglasses
Ultraviolet (UV) rays are all around us. UV exposure increases your risk for cataracts, AMD, and certain eye cancers. Wear eye protection that guards from both UVA and UVB rays.
Help Us Spread The Word
Share this message with friends, coworkers, and family members. Help protect the vision of the people you care about.