May is Healthy Vision Month

From the moment you wake up until you go to bed at night, your eyes are working to bring you the world. That is why it is so important to keep them healthy and safe. Follow these simple steps for maintaining healthy eyes.

Have a comprehensive eye exam. Your eye care professional is the only one who can determine if your eyes are healthy and if you are seeing your best.

Know your family’s eye health history. Talk to your family members about their eye health history. It is important to know if anyone has been diagnosed with a disease or condition since many are hereditary. This will help to determine if you are at higher risk for developing an eye disease or condition.

Eat right to protect your sight. You have heard carrots are good for your eyes. Also, eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, particularly dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, or collard greens helps keep your eyes healthy, too.  Research has also shown there are eye health benefits from eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, and halibut.

Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing diabetes and other systemic conditions, which can lead to vision loss, such as diabetic eye disease or glaucoma.

Wear protective eyewear. Wear protective eyewear when playing sports or doing activities around the home.

Quit smoking or never start. Research has linked smoking to an increased risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, cataract, and optic nerve damage, all of which can lead to blindness.

Be cool and wear your shades. Sunglasses protect your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. When purchasing sunglasses, look for ones that block out 99 to 100 percent of both UV-A and UV-B radiation.

Give your eyes a rest. If you spend a lot of time at the computer or focusing on any one thing, you sometimes forget to blink and your eyes can get fatigued. Try the 20-20-20 rule to reduce eyestrain: Every 20 minutes, look away about 20 feet in front of you for 20 seconds.