Like many people, you probably worry about your healthy. You may even exercise and take your vitamins daily but are you caring for your eyes enough? A recent Bausch + Lomb survey found that while 70 percent of people asked would rather lose a limb than their sight, they do not necessarily know how to take care of their eyes properly. What are you doing to maintain your vision? Here are some tips so you don’t take your vision for granted.
- Eat for Good Vision – Eating for good vision means eating a rainbow of foods. Research suggests that a colorful array of fruits and vegetables, such as kale, spinach, carrots, and berries, also may help protect the eyes by providing lutein and zeaxanthin, two powerful antioxidants that may decrease the risk of age-related macular degeneration.
- Stop Smoking – Smoking puts you at risk for cataracts, optic nerve damage and macular degeneration. Talk to your doctor about help with quitting.
- UV Protection – Don’t just protect your skin with sunscreen protect your eyes from the damaging ultraviolet rays of the sun with protective glasses. Choose a pair of sunglasses that has 99 percent UVA/UVB protection. If you are planning to be near reflective surfaces such as snow, water or the beach, it may be best to wear wraparound sunglasses to block out as many UV rays as possible.
- Unplug – Too many of us work at a computer all day and spend much of our free time surfing the net or checking social media. This can put serious stress on your eyes. A good rule to follow is 20/20/20. Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
- Avoid Makeup Issues – Regularly replace or clean all makeup that is used near your eyes. Brushes can accumulate bacteria over time causing infections and inflammation. Replace your mascara every four to six months and eye shadows every year — sooner if they’re made with a liquid or cream base.
- Get regular exams – According to the National Institutes of Health, a complete eye exam is recommended every five to 10 years for those between the ages of 20 and 39, but if you wear contacts, you should see an eyecare professional annually. If you are over 40 and healthy, an eye exam every two to four years is recommended.
