Healthy Eye Checklist

Our eyes are one of our most important organs, yet many of us tend to neglect our vision health. Here are six things you can do to ensure you treat your eyes with the best of care!

Get regular eye exams. It’s important to be proactive about going to the optometrist for regular check-ups since this is a preventative measure that can help to identify possible problems before they are at their most dire. For example, if glaucoma is detected early enough, it can be corrected with treatment. The Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends that adults between 20 to 64 years of age have a regular eye exam every one to two years.

Avoid eye strain. Gazing at your computer screen, as well as watching TV, reading a book or any other activity that requires you to keep your eyes focused on a close object for a long period of time, can lead to eye fatigue or strain. This can in turn result in negative effects on your overall health including a sore neck, headaches or blurred near vision. To avoid these problems, it’s imperative that you give your eyes a break by directing your line of sight to a distant object from time to time and lubricating them if they get dry or feel irritated.

Keep your eyes protected from the sun. The sun’s harmful rays can penetrate to the retina which can in turn lead to the development of cataracts and macular degeneration. It’s therefore important to wear a pair of sunglasses that have 100% UV protection while outside, whether it be in summer or winter, and particularly when there’s high glare. Wearing a wide-brimmed sun hat along with sunglasses can also aid in shielding your eyes from the sun’s UV rays.

 

Quit smoking. For those who can’t kick the nicotine habit, here is yet another good reason to live smoke-free. Studies have shown that smoking can potentially damage blood vessels and deprive eye tissue of oxygen, thus leading to an increased risk of eye-related diseases. So put out that cigarette today for your vision’s sake!

 

Eat food that’s good for the eyes. Eating dark green and orange fruits and vegetables, such as carrots and kale, also helps to promote eye health. These foods are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, which act as antioxidants to protect the eyes. Click here to see a list of more foods for healthy eyes.

 

Use contact lenses wisely. Don’t wear contact lenses if you’re eyes are feeling irritated as this can lead to a corneal ulcer. Make sure to also take proper care of your contact lenses by cleaning them thoroughly with solution. It’s generally a bad idea to try to stretch out the usage time of a particular pair of contacts just because they still “look” and “ feel” okay, so be sure to dispose of them as soon as you’ve worn the contacts for the recommended amount of time.If you wear them on a daily basis and for most of the day, it would perhaps also be wise to wear them less frequently. Instead, invest in a stylish pair of glasses so you can give your eyes a rest, as well as look scholarly chic.