Healthy Habits For Healthy Eyes
Every Year is another chance to focus on bringing our best selves to the table. We rely on our eyes for many of our daily tasks, so it’s important to keep them healthy and functioning.
Try out some of these suggestions below and build healthy habits this January and start your new year off strong for your ocular health.
Eat For Eye Health
Foods rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins A, C, and E (leafy greens, fish, and vegetables) help maintain healthy retinas and may lower the risk of age-related eye diseases. Taking vitamins and supplements may help as well if you are unable to build a healthy diet. Having these resources available for your body can help slow down or mitigate the effects of some eye diseases. You can start by adding these eye-healthy options to your meals once or even a few times a week.
Quit Smoking
Smoking increases the risk of cataracts, macular degeneration, thyroid eye disease, and damage to the optic nerve. In some cases, smoking can increase your risk by seven to eight times. Not only that, but smoking can also exacerbate any existing ocular conditions. Quitting not only benefits your eyes but also improves your overall health.
Proper Contact Use
Taking out your contacts, every day is a good way to protect your eyes from dryness, physical injury, and infections. Doing this regularly helps keep the surface of your eyes healthy and clean by reducing the chance for dangerous microbes to thrive under the contacts and preventing dry contacts from scratching your cornea and eye lids.
Ocular Hygiene
If you’ve been outside, playing with pets or children, or cooking or cleaning, its important to wash your hands before touching your eyes. Our eyes and tears have built in mechanisms to help fight infections, but sometimes they aren’t enough. Touching your eyes with unsanitary hands can cause chemical irritation or even infections. Washing your hands properly and often can help protect your eyes and the eyes of everyone else.
UV Protection
Sunglasses with 100% UV protection safeguard your eyes from harmful ultraviolet rays, reducing the risk of cataracts, macular degeneration, and other UV-related eye conditions. Even glasses like transitions can help more seamlessly protect your eyes. People with lighter colored iris are especially more susceptible to light and the damage it can cause. Keep a pair of sunglasses by your front door, in your purse or car for those really bright days. Keep this in mind if you are near large bodies of water like lakes or oceans or even snowy mountains. These environments reflect sunlight and can harm your eyes even if it doesn’t seem that bright outside.
Reduce Eye Strain
Our modern lives require us to view digital screens multiple times a day and often for many hours. Following the tips below can help you avoid additional eye strain.
- Follow the 20-20-20 Rule: Look 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes.
- Adjust Screen Settings: Use blue light filters and lower brightness.
- Maintain Proper Distance: Keep screens 20–28 inches away and slightly below eye level.
- Take Regular Breaks: Step away from screens every hour.
- Use Artificial Tears or Blue Light Glasses: Reduce dryness and glare.
Regular Eye Exams
Making sure you see your optometrist or ophthalmologist can be key for maintaining proper eye health. These specialists will help you identify any potential concerns with your eyes and vision.
Early Detection of Eye Conditions: Many eye diseases, like glaucoma, cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), develop gradually and without noticeable symptoms in their early stages. Regular eye exams can catch these conditions early, when treatment can be most effective.
Protecting Overall Health: Did you know that your eye health can reveal signs of other health problems? Yearly eye exams can detect signs of diabetes, high blood pressure, and even certain cancers, sometimes before symptoms appear elsewhere in your body.
Updating Your Prescription: Your vision can change over time, even if you don’t notice it immediately. An annual eye exam ensures your prescription is up to date. Having the most accurate prescription can help you avoid headaches, eye strain, and other issues caused by outdated glasses or contact lenses.
Maintaining Optimal Performance: Clear vision is essential for everyday activities like reading, driving, working and enjoying your favorite hobbies and leisure activities. Annual exams help ensure your eyes are performing at their best so you can live your life to the fullest.
If you notice any of these signs, it’s time to schedule a vision screening.
- Frequent squinting or tilting of the head.
- Holding books or devices very close to your face.
- Complaints of headaches or tired eyes.
- Difficulty concentrating on tasks or avoiding reading altogether.
- Misaligned or wandering eyes.
It’s often just once a year, no need to put it off, make an appointment today!
How You Can Get Involved
At Ora, we’re dedicated to improving eye health through innovative clinical trials. By participating, you can contribute to cutting-edge research while benefiting from expert care. Furthermore, you can learn more about your own eye health and get compensated for your participation. Please visit https://oraconnects.com/find-a-trial/ to find out more about our ongoing studies and see if you qualify.
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