Eye Health
March is National Save Your Vision Month. While some of us may think that because we have good vision, our eyes must be healthy. In reality, this may not be the case. Our eyes are truly the windows to our souls. By having a regular yearly comprehensive eye exam, you will ensure not only healthy eyes and normal vision, but also a healthy body, as well.
Yearly visits with your eye doctor can be a little scary, especially if you have never been before. Make sure that your doctor does the exam while your eyes are dilated. This can make for a challenging day, but it’s worth it so the doctor can see the tiny vessels in the back of your eye. While looking at these vessels, your provider will assess for damage or disease that often comes without warning. Oftentimes, eye doctors are the first health care professionals to notice chronic systemic diseases, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, simply by looking at the blood vessels in our eyes. There are several things you can do to keep your eyes healthy, along with a yearly visit to your eye doctor.
- Know your family’s eye history. Has anyone in the family been diagnosed with an eye disease or condition?
- Eat right to protect your sight. Beyond the carrots, include green leafy vegetables, spinach, kale, salmon, tuna, eggs, nuts and citrus fruits.
- Maintain a healthy body weight. If overweight, you put yourself at risk for diabetes and other systemic chronic conditions that may lead to vision loss or diseases of the eye.
- Stop smoking.
- Wear sunglasses. Some experts are linking UV-A and UV-B rays to macular degeneration.
- Give your eyes a rest. According to the CDC, if you spend a lot of your day staring at a computer or focusing on one thing, you sometimes forget to blink. Try the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes look at something at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds or longer.
- Wear protective eye gear, especially while participating in sports or activities around the house.
If you have any questions regarding eye health, please talk to your health care provider.
Melanie Yunger is a local wife, mother and nurse practitioner.