Your eyes are the window to your soul, or are they? Maybe they are. However, you want to keep those windows to your soul as healthy as possible and many people don’t. This is why they are prone to developing eye ailments that can cost them their vision quality and even their entire vision.
Fortunately, your eyes can be taken care of properly to reduce the risks of developing problems. And there are 13 eye care tips that optometrists want you to know. Let’s go over them now.
A Biennial Eye Exam Is Necessary
If you did not get your biennial eye exam, you are putting your eyes at risk for allowing conditions such as cataracts, macular degeneration, and glaucoma getting out of control. This eye exam should be used for adults over 60 once a year and it can help detect these issues and have them treated accordingly.
Watch Out For Glaucoma
Glaucoma comes on silently and you won’t have symptoms until you experience irreversible blindness which is when it gets out of control. You need to have regular eye checkups to make sure that you will receive early treatment if it is detected. That is the only way to stop it in its tracks.
Have Your Eyes Checked Correctly
Having your eyes checked does not only mean monitoring your vision. You want to have the muscles around your eyes examined as well, and if they are aligning and coordinating, and you want to have the condition of the lenses also examined.
Make Sure You Blink Often During Your Exams
The only way your optometrist can tell if your lens is the clearest during an exam is if you blink often. You want the tear film smooth on there and if you don’t blink often, it will break up and it won’t provide a clear result.
Don’t Order Glasses Online
If you need glasses, go get the one that your optometrist prescribed as you will get the right type because it is your prescription. However, if you order random glasses online, they would be very wrong for you which will result in dizziness, nausea, and headaches.
Don’t Skip Eye Exams If You Wear Contacts
Your hands are always manipulating the lens and as a result, you can easily end up with an eye infection. You must have regular eye exams if you wear contact lenses for that reason. An infection can be difficult to treat otherwise if it is not banished immediately.
Remove Your Contacts Before Going To Sleep
If you want to avoid corneal ulcers, then you will want to take your contact lenses out before going to sleep whether it is for the night or for a nap. That is because the contacts are blocking oxygen to your eyes and allowing germs to fester if you close them and keep them closed when you are asleep.
Don’t Rinse Your Lenses With Tap Water
Always rinse your lenses in the solution you are given by your optometrist. Never use tap water to do so as you have microbes lurking in there. And one of the sight-destroying microbes is the acanthamoeba which lurks in tap water.
Don’t Neglect Your Eyes If You Spend A Lot Of Time On The Computer
If you spend all day in front of a computer screen at work, you will suffer from digital eye strain. You need a special type of prescription glasses that are geared for your job if you are spending a lot of time in front of a computer screen.
Take Breaks From Staring At Your Screen
In order to fight screen fatigue, you will want to sit back as far as you can from your screen. You also will want to take 20-minute breaks by looking away from it for several minutes at a time. This will help relax your eye muscles and will reduce fatigue.
Careful With Eyelash Extensions
You may like the eyelash extensions as they are trendy. However, the glue that holds them can cause chemical burns and allergic reactions. And only wear them for special occasions and don’t put them on yourself. Hire a licensed esthetician who uses equipment that is sterile to put them on you.
Wear Sunglasses To Protect Your Eyes From UV Damage
If you think that the only time to wear sunglasses is on sunny days, you will want to rethink that. Even when it is moderately sunny if you plan to spend long periods of time in the sun can cause UV damage to your eyes. And you will want to wear sunglasses if you do winter sports as the snow will bounce UV rays to your eyes. Accumulative UV damage will cause corneal sunburn, eyelid cancer, or macular degeneration. Make sure the sunglasses are 100 percent effective with blocking UV rays as well.
Eat Foods That Will Boost Eye Health
The foods you eat will help keep your eyes healthy. Foods that contain Omega 3 fatty acids, zinc, Vitamins C and E, and lutein will help ward off eye diseases such as cataracts and macular degeneration. Eat plenty of leafy greens, salmon or fatty fish, eggs, nuts, legumes, seafood, oysters, pork, and citrus fruits.
With these 13 tips, as long as you follow them, you will be able to enjoy having good eye health. The key is to follow them.
