7 Ways to protect your eyes

 

7 Ways to protect your eyes

 

 

May is Healthy Vision Month, and with warmer weather right around the corner, now is the perfect time to start taking extra care of your eye health. As you spend more time outdoors and work on projects around the house, it’s vital to protect your eyes.

Here are seven simple ways to keep your eyes healthy this summer and beyond.


1. Wear Sunglasses

Most people remember to wear sunscreen before they head outdoors, but they often forget the importance of protecting their eyes from the sun.

UV exposure can contribute to:

·         Cataracts

·         Corneal damage

·         Macular degeneration

·         Decreased vision

If you’re spending time outdoors, be sure to wear sunglasses that block 99-100% of UVA and UVB radiation. This one simple step could save your eyes from chronic issues in the future.

 

2. Wear Protective Eyewear

If you’re playing sports or working on projects around the home, be sure to wear appropriate protective eyewear.

As a general rule of thumb, it’s best to wear protective eyewear when doing:

·         Home improvement projects. Eyewear can protect your eyes from injury and debris, such as sawdust or wood chips.

·         Yard work. If you’re trimming bushes, pruning trees, weed whacking or even mowing the lawn, make sure that you’re wearing protective eyewear. A stray branch or stone can cause serious eye injury.

·         Sports, such as lacrosse, archery, shooting/hunting, motorcycling, tennis and other sports that involve projectiles.

There are many modern and stylish options for protective eyewear, even prescription versions, so don’t skip this critical step.

 


3. Eat Healthy and Maintain a Healthy Weight

Eating right and maintaining a healthy weight can help you naturally protect your eyes. Like any other part of your body, your eyes need the right nutrients for optimal function and health.

Make sure that your diet includes plenty of foods rich in eye-protecting nutrients, like:

·         Vitamin A

·         Vitamin E

·         Vitamin C

·         Omega-3 fatty acids

·         Zeaxanthin

·         Zinc

·         Lutein

Zeaxanthin and lutein are especially important for protecting your eyes from sun damage and blue light.

Eating healthy is only one piece of the puzzle. It’s also important to ensure that you’re maintaining a healthy weight. Research shows that obesity can increase the risk of serious eye diseases, including wet macular degenerationdiabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.

 

 

4. Quit Smoking

If you’re a smoker, there’s no better time than now to quit. Studies show that smoking can increase the risk of:

·         Diabetic retinopathy

·         Cataracts

·         Glaucoma

·         Age-related macular degeneration

Eventually, smoking can lead to vision loss. Take steps to quit smoking. And if you’re not a smoker, kudos!, make sure that you never start.

 

5. Get Regular Eye Exams

Scheduling regular eye exams is one of the best ways to protect your eye health. Experts recommend getting comprehensive dilated eye exams every 1-2 years for people who:

·         Are over 60 years of age

·         Have a family history of glaucoma

·         Are African-American and over 40 years of age

·         Have high blood pressure or diabetes

If you wear contacts or eyeglasses, make sure you schedule annual exams to ensure your prescription is up to date


6. Exercise 

Couch potatoes, take note. A Swedish study published in the journal Ophthalmology, examined a possible link between specific types of physical activity, including walking, and a reduced risk of age-related cataracts in 52,660 participants between the ages of 45 and 83. Hoofing it more than 60 minutes a day — versus hardly ever — was associated with a decreased risk of cloudy lenses. Conversely, high inactivity levels may be associated with an increased risk. Another eye-opener: According to research from the University of California Los Angeles, brisk walking may also lower your risk of getting glaucoma, with the most active among us having a 73 percent lower risk than the least active.

The benefits may be two-fold. First, exercise is believed to decrease your risk of Developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure, all of which can contribute to cataracts. Cardio may also lower intraocular pressure (the pressure in your eyes), increasing blood flow to the retina and optic nerve. To achieve vision-boosting effects, you don’t have to break much of a Sweat, IOP can be lowered with a brisk, 20-

Minute walk a minimum of four times a week.


7. Get the right amount of sleep

Yes, bloodshot eyes and puffy lids can be the unattractive consequences of a lack of shut-eye, but not getting enough rest can play havoc with our eye health, too. Sleep is the time when fluids circulate and hydrate your eyes, refreshing them for the next day. Get less than five hours of slumber a night and you may experience side effects ranging from light sensitivity and blurred vision to dry eye and involuntary twitches (known as myokymia) that occur when the muscles around the eyes are not getting enough rest.


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