Top Ten Healthy Things to Do for Your Eyes

Top Ten Healthy Things to Do for Your Eyes
A Guide to Protecting Your Eye Health Every Day
Jennifer Palombi

Mar 5, 2009
Controlling risk for eye disease and protecting your eyes daily is important to keep your world in focus.

How often do you have your eyes examined?

Doctors agree that people should follow a consistent regimen of annual eye exams to prevent potentially serious eye complications. But what can you do the rest of the year to insure healthy eyes? This is, after all, the only pair of eyes you’ll get so they’re worth taking care of.

With that in mind, here are the top ten healthy things that you can do for your eyes:

1. See Your Eye Doctor Annually

Medical experts urge all patients with diabetes to have dilated eye exams once per year. Pupil dilation allows your doctor to see more of the inside of your eye in order to thoroughly check for signs of disease. Yet in a study performed just a few years ago, 35 percent of people had not had a dilated exam in the previous year.

2. Get Yourself a Good Pair of Sunglasses

UV radiation is harmful to the eyes and can cause cataracts. Sunglasses with broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection can help prevent harmful radiation from entering and damaging the eyes. Check with your local optical shop for a good pair of UV protective lenses. Then wear your sunglasses year round – UV radiation on the ski slopes is just as harmful as UV radiation on your favorite stretch of beach.

3. Wear Safety Glasses When the Occasion Calls For It

Whether you’re trimming shrubs in your back yard, woodworking in your garage or finally getting around to those home improvements you’ve been considering, your eyes are at risk for serious injury from flying debris. Protective glasses with polycarbonate lenses dramatically reduce the risk of eye injury associated with many of our favorite hobbies.

4. Eat Your Veggies

Your mom was right. Studies have shown that the antioxidants found in green leafy vegetables are beneficial in reducing your risk for eye diseases such as macular degeneration.

5. Control Your Blood Sugar

Stable blood-glucose levels over prolonged periods are an important factor in reducing your chance of developing a serious condition known as diabetic retinopathy. Retinopathy occurs when the blood vessels of the retina become leaky or blocked. It occurs more often in cases of poorly controlled blood glucose and can lead to severe vision loss.

6. Watch That Blood Pressure

People who suffer from hypertension can develop hypertensive retinopathy among other eye complications. By simply controlling your blood pressure, you can dramatically reduce your chances of developing eye problems.

7. Learn About All of Your Medicines

Did you know that steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (such as prednisone) can cause cataracts? Or that some drugs can cause dry eyes and still others can increase your risk for glaucoma? Know the potential complications of your medicines and be sure to report all prescription drugs and dosages to your eye doctor at each and every eye exam.

8. Wear Your Contacts as Directed

Wearing disposable lenses too long or sleeping with contacts not designed for extended-wear can put you at risk for developing vision-threatening infections. Dispose of your lenses at the prescribed interval and don’t sleep with contact lenses unless your eye doctor expressly gives you permission to do so. Most people who wear extended-wear contacts should see their eye doctors every 6 months to evaluate the health of their corneas.

9. Know Your Family History

Some eye diseases, such as macular degeneration, glaucoma and certain forms of corneal disease have a genetic link. If you have blood relatives with these conditions, you could be at higher risk for developing them yourself. Familiarize yourself with your family’s eye health history and let your eye doctor know when any new conditions develop.

10. Educate yourself!

The eyes are more than windows to the soul—they’re your windows to the world. Be mindful each day of taking these simple steps to help keep your world in focus.

For more information on eye health or to find an eye doctor in your area, contact the American Optometric Association, the American Academy of Ophthalmology at www.aao.org, or check out Prevent Blindness America’s information page.


The copyright of the article Top Ten Healthy Things to Do for Your Eyes in Patient Health Education is owned by Jennifer Palombi. Permission to republish Top Ten Healthy Things to Do for Your Eyes in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.


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