It is easy to take your eyesight for granted, especially if you are seeing well and have no irritation, explains Pamela Lowe, OD, FAAO. However, your eyesight is not something to play around with. It is important to go that extra mile to protect your eyes.
Improving Eye Health with Dr. Sam Boles, your Annapolis Eye Doctor
The below tips will help you proactively protect your eyesight:
- Indoor Air Quality (IAQ): The heating system in your home or office may keep you nice and toasty all winter long, but it also dries out your eyes. To combat this issue, try using a portable humidifier to keep the air moist. This will help prevent eye irritation.
- Say “Yes” to Saline: It is always a good idea to stock your medicine cabinet with saline solution for those minor emergencies. When you accidently splash soap or other chemicals in your eyes, you should immediately rinse your eyes with saline for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Clean Contact Lens Case: If you wear contact lenses, please, please, please clean them and your lens case regularly. “A huge reason why my patients experience complications is that they don’t clean their lens cases,” says Dr. Lowe. “People throw them into their pockets or purses or store them in a humid bathroom, which is a breeding ground for bacteria.”
- Give Your Eyes a Rest: Prolonged computer use causes an individual to look straight ahead for long periods of time, blink less often, and use specific vision skills, which add further demands to the visual system. All of these factors can lead to several issues, including eye strain, blurred vision, and dry eye. Each one of these symptoms contributes to Computer Vision Syndrome, which the American Optometric Association defines as “the complex of eye and vision problems related to near work that are experienced during or related to computer use.”
- Eat Right: Believe it or not, what you eat can affect your vision. Fruits and vegetables rich in lutein helps protect your eyes against macular degeneration. Meanwhile, a little caffeine can go a long way. Two servings of a caffeinated beverage a day can help protect you against dry eyes.
- Wear Sunglasses: According to WebMD, “a lifetime of UV light exposure can contribute to cataracts and macular degeneration.” This is why it is important to always wear sunglasses with 100 percent UVA and UVB protection.
- Eye Exams: As we explained last week, 39.8% of people skip eye care each year because of the cost or a lack of insurance, while 35% believe they don’t need professional eye care. Are you one of them? The benefits of regular eye exams cannot be overstated. According to Dr. Lowe, “people tend not to think about preventive care…Many diseases affect the eye in such a way that you can see 20/20 until suddenly, one day you can’t.” This is because certain eye diseases, such as glaucoma, do not present symptoms until it is too late. In fact, an individual with glaucoma can lose as much as 40% of their vision before even noticing any vision loss. This is why the American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends that adults, ages 18-60, have their eyes examined every two years, while adults older than 60 have their eyes examined annually. When was your last eye exam?
Comprehensive Ophthalmic Eye Exams from Dr. Sam Boles, your Annapolis Eye Doctor
Located in Annapolis, Maryland, the Anne Arundel Eye Center (AAEC) is a regional leader in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, cataracts and other eye diseases. We offer comprehensive ophthalmic exams as well as diagnostic pre and post-surgical eye care.
“I treat my patients the way I want to be treated when I see a doctor,” said board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles who, along with the eye care specialists at AAEC, has helped preserve thousands of patients’ vision.
If you have any questions about Eye Health and wish to schedule an appointment with the Anne Arundel Eye Center, please contact board certified ophthalmologist Dr. Samuel Boles, consultative optometrists Dr. Nathan Frank and Dr. Corinne Casey, and the eye care specialists here at AAEC by calling 410-224-2010 or visiting AnneArundelEyeCenter.com today. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube as well!
For more eye care advice and information, please take a look at our previous blog posts.
Source:
10 Tips for Healthy Eyes WebMD