How to Maintain Eye Health

All of our five senses are important, but we rely on our sense of sight for the majority of our interactions, tasks and movements. As humans, we are built to gather information about our surroundings with our eyes, and when our eyes do not work as well as they should, it has an enormous impact on daily life.

A little eye care now can go a long way toward preserving healthy eyes and clear vision. Read on as Laser Eye Center shares some simple tips to maintain long-term eye health.

Eat Nutritious, Vitamin-rich Foods

Your daily diet can heavily influence your eye health. Green leafy vegetables and colorful fruits are chock-full of eye-friendly vitamins and minerals. Fatty fish such as salmon and tuna are also great for the health of your eyes.

Exercise Regularly

Regular physical activity promotes a healthy heart, strong muscles and a fit physique. Moreover, exercising may help prevent or control health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol that are linked to problems like retinal damage. Getting into a consistent exercise routine lowers your risk of developing these health problems and related eye disease.

Avoid Smoking

Smoking is very harmful to your eyes. Research shows that people who smoke are more likely to get serious eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and cataracts than non-smokers.

Wear Sun Protection

Excessive exposure to sunlight may increase the risk of cataracts, macular degeneration and pterygium. Sun protection is critical, particularly in a warm, sunny climate like ours where people spend a lot of time outdoors. Find a good pair of sunglasses that block out 99 to 100 percent of the sun’s UVA and UVB (there are many options available at all price points). If you know you will be outside all day, you can add a wide-brimmed hat for extra protection.

Use Care with Contact Lenses

Being lax about contact lens care and hygiene can result in an eye infection. Always wash your hands before putting in or taking out your contacts, and follow the cleaning and replacement instructions from your eye doctor carefully.

Give Your Eyes a Rest

This past year has found a lot of us spending more time than ever working on computers and using our smartphones and tablets. But looking at digital devices for a long time fatigues and dries out your eyes. Give your eyes many breaks by following the “20-20-20 rule.” Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break to focus on an object approximately 20 feet away. Remember to blink frequently, too.

Get Comprehensive Eye Exams

Finally, our eye doctors encourage you to stay on top of your annual or bi-annual eye exams. Even if your eyes and vision seem fine, you could have a “silent” problem and not know it. Eye exams are the single best defense against diseases and disorders that threaten your vision.

For more information about keeping your eyes healthy, the team at Laser Eye Center is here for you. Give us a call or send us an email today.