March is Save Your Vision Month, a campaign that aims to increase awareness on good eye and vision health care. In honor of this effort, the eye experts at Island Eye Surgicenter share their top tips for prolonging healthy eyesight.
1. Prevent Digital Eye Strain
Whether it be a smartphone, TV, computer or tablet, most people spend at least a few hours of their day in front of a digital screen. Unfortunately, this can have negative effects on our eyes in the form of digital eyestrain. Common digital eyestrain symptoms include eye fatigue, headaches, blurry vision, dry eyes and neck and shoulder pain. There are several ways you can prevent digital eyestrain including taking more breaks when using digital devices, exercising your eyes and adjusting the brightness on your screen.
2. Follow an Eye-friendly Diet
Several studies show that eating the right foods can lower one’s risk of certain eye diseases, including cataracts and macular degeneration. Boost your eye health by eating foods that contain eye-friendly nutrients such as beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, lutein and omega-3 fatty acids.
3. Wear Protective Eyewear
About 2,000 job-related eye injuries occur every day, many of which require medical treatment and can cause vision loss or even blindness. Research also shows that approximately 90 percent of all eye injuries can be prevented with protective goggles. If you work with heavy machinery, power tools or around objects that can potentially fly or fall and hit yours eyes, it is crucial you wear protective goggles. It is also a good idea to wear goggles when doing repair projects around your home or anytime playing sports like baseball and basketball. Wearing sunglasses that offer 100 percent UV protection every time you are outdoors is also important in protecting your vision.
4. Quit (or Don’t Start) Smoking
Research shows smoking increases the risk for many eye diseases including cataracts, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy. For your and your eyes’ sake, it’s best to quit, or never start, smoking.
5. Get Your Eyes Checked
Many people visit an eye doctor and/or get an eye exam when they experience vision or eye problems. What some people might not know is that many eye conditions don’t show any early symptoms. Regular eye exams can help detect and treat various conditions before they cause permanent damage or vision loss.
Do you want to learn more ways you can save your vision? The eye experts at Island Eye Surgicenter would be more than happy to meet with you to share more tips. To schedule an appointment with us, please call (516) 877-2400 today.
