We take eye health very seriously around here so we are excited that the entire month of March is dedicated to Eye Health Awareness. Keeping health eyes is important! Along with our New Year’s resolutions to exercise and eat healthy, we like to keep eye health a top priority. The benefits of healthy vision are far reaching and can last a lifetime.
Taking care of your vision is a very easily attainable goal. We have put together a list of 3 simple steps on how to protect your eyes:
The best way to make sure your peepers are in superior condition is to get a comprehensive eye exam. In addition to determining your prescription for eyeglasses or contacts, your doctor will place drops into the eyes to dilate the pupils in order to examine your retina to look for signs of damage or other eye problems.
Eye exams are an important part of vision health maintenance and are recommended for all ages starting at 3 years old. In fact, academic achievement and normal vision development are closely tied with eye health maintenance from an early age.
Even if you think your vision is in good shape, it might be a good idea to follow these steps as a lot of vision problems such as Glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic eye disease often have no symptoms.
Stay Healthy! Healthy eyes are important, and so is your overall health
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle will benefit your overall health, and that includes your eyes. The good news is that whatever you are currently doing to stay healthy – exercising, eating right, not smoking, etc is precisely what you can continue doing to keep up your vision health.
Obesity can increase your risk of developing diabetes which can lead to vision loss, so maintaining a healthy diet is crucial to your overall physical health. Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables (such as kale or spinach), as well as one rich in omega-3 fatty acids (such salmon or nuts) is important for your eye health.
Practice Workplace Eye Safety
Computer eye strain is a major job-related issue. The problems that develop from computer-related eye strain range from fatigue and decreased productivity to red eyes and an increase in number of work errors. While there is no way to limit computer use at work, you can make a few simple changes:
- Avoid any excessively bright lights – whether from an overhead lamp or a window.
- Glare on your computer screen is artificially making your eyes work harder than they have to. If you are having this issue, you can install an anti-glare screen as well as purchase lenses with anti-reflective coating.
- Exercise your eyes by blinking more often and taking frequent breaks. Eye doctors recommend that you look away from your computer every 20 minutes to gaze at an object 20 feet away for about 20 seconds. This allows your eye muscles to relax and it’s not a bad break for your mind either!
- Consider “office eyewear.” Speak to your optometrist about modifying your eyewear for the workplace based on your work and vision needs.
And while we’re chatting about eye health, we wanted to share 3 interesting eye facts with you…
Eye Health Fact #1:
It is possible to see better than 20/20. In fact, the maximum acuity of the human eye without any visual aids is 20/10.
Eye Health Fact #2:
Most people start to become near sighted soon after turning 40, even people who enjoyed perfect vision up to that point.
Eye Health Fact #3:
Eye disease can happen at any time. That is why yearly eye exams are important at any age.
Stay Healthy, Stay Glassy.
JCPenney Optical Team