Mar 31, 2022

5 tips for eye safety

This season, prioritize your eye health with these 5 tips!

1. Have a Healthy Diet

Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet is important for long-term health as well as your vision. Certain nutrients in food may help to reduce the risk of vision conditions including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetes-related eye disease and cataracts.

Some of the best foods for eye health include:

• Fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids like tuna, salmon, and trout
• Green leafy vegetables containing lutein, zeaxanthin and vitamin C, like spinach and kale
• Nuts and legumes rich in vitamin E, including walnuts, cashews, and peanuts
• Citrus fruits that are rich in vitamin C like oranges and grapefruit
• Carrots and sweet potatoes for vitamin A and beta carotene

2. Quit Smoking

Smoking is a major risk factor for many eye conditions including cataracts, AMD, optic nerve problems and other health conditions that can impact vision. Quitting can be very hard, but there are resources that can help. Talk to your doctor to find out how they can support you.

3. Take Screen Breaks

We are surrounded by screens, including our TVs, computers, phones, tablets and more! When we spend too long looking at these devices it can cause eyestrain, dry eyes, headaches, and pain. To help protect your eyes make sure you take screen breaks every 20 minutes by looking away from the screen for at least 20 seconds. If you are looking at the screen for prolonged periods of time, remember to get up every 2 hours and move around for 15 minutes. If you get dry eyes artificial tears can help. Talk to your pharmacist or eye doctor to find a brand that works for you.

4. Protect your eyes

Make sure to protect your eyes from both the sun and potential injury.

Sunglasses are not only stylish but help protect your eyes from harmful UV rays. Choose sunglasses that shield against both UVA and UVB for maximum protection. The level of protection should be printed on the tag, and the higher the level of protection the better. If you have AMD or diabetes-related vision loss, amber or brown lenses might also help by increasing contrast.

Remember to also protect your eyes from injury by wearing safety glasses or other protective eyewear when using any hazardous materials at home or work, doing any construction projects and when playing contact sports like hockey and racquetball.

5. Visit Your Eye Doctor Regularly

Regular eye exams are key to maintaining your eye health. Many eye diseases do not have symptoms in the early stages, so having a comprehensive exam is essential to identify any problems. In addition to checking if you need corrective lenses, your eye doctor will do tests to check the health of your retina, your eye pressure and more. You can learn more about the different types of eye care professionals here.

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