5 Easy Ways to Keep Your Eyes Healthy

This Valentine’s Day, don’t take your eyes for granted!  Your eyes are a hugely important organ and allow you to see the world around you, so what can you do to take care of them?  Here are 5 easy ways to keep your eyes healthy. 

1. Eating Well

Fueling your body with the right foods will keep your eyes happy.  Nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zinc, and vitamins C and E are especially good for your eyes and help prevent the development of cataracts and macular degeneration.  What foods have these important nutrients?

• Salmon, Tuna and other oily fish (Omega 3 & Vitamin D)
• Green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale (Vitamin C and E)
• Eggs (Lutein and Zeaxanthin)
• Nuts, beans, and other non-meat proteins (Vitamin E)
• Oranges and other citrus fruits or juices (Vitamin C and Folate)
• Oysters, Meat and Poultry (Zinc)

2. Wear Sunglasses

The white of your eye, cornea, retina, iris, and lens of your eye are susceptible to damage from too much sun exposure.  The skin around the eyes and the eyelids are made up of very thin layers skin tissue.  Repeated UV exposure (not to mention squinting from the sun) may lead to wrinkles and age spots.  As well as certain types of skin cancers around the eye.  Thus, the right sunglasses will prevent the sun from frying your skin, including your eyelids.

• Look for sunglasses that offer 99.9% UV protection
• Lighter tinted sunglasses will offer the same protection as the darker tint
• Larger frames and wraparound styles will shield more UV rays than smaller styles

3. Stop Smoking

Smoking has long been known to cause heart disease and lung cancer; however many people don’t realize that smoking can lead to vision loss. Studies show smoking increases the risk of age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy and Dry Eye Syndrome.

4. 20-20-20 Rule

Looking at screens for too long may lead to eye strain, but the 20-20-20 rule may help.  Every 20 minutes spent using a screen, you should try to look away at something that is 20 feet away from you for a total of 20 seconds.

Consider looking out a window at an object that seems far away, like a tree or a building across the street.  If you work in a small space, try walking outdoors or into a larger area where you can rest your eyes.

5. Visit your Eye Doctor Regularly

Even if there’s nothing wrong with your eyes, getting regular eye health checks are as important as visiting you primary care doctor.  The best way to prevent eye diseases is to visit your optometrist yearly.  Schedule an appointment with your optometrist today!  Or if you don’t have a optometrist, schedule a vision/eye exam with one of our optometrists today!