Eye health should be a priority for most people, as over 1.3 million Americans between the ages of 40 and older are blind. Aside from this fact, there are 2.9 million people in the country within the same age group who are considered to have low vision. Lastly, there are 4.2 million Americans who are considered to be visually impaired. Again, this is just between the ages of 40 and above. What about the ones who are younger than that?
Not very favorable figures, don’t you think? Thankfully, you don’t have to be a part of that statistic if you do take excellent care of your eyes early on. Here are a number of tips you can consider to maintain your vision all year round.
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Consider Your Eyewear
Aside from helping you see better, your eyewear is your first line of defense towards keeping your eyes healthy and protected. For this very reason, you should always make sure that you’re wearing the right kind of eyewear for the particular activity you are about to perform.
Spring is always a perfect time to get new glasses since new eyeglass frame designs are launched around this time. Aside from getting the coolest design, you can also opt to donate your old eyewear to those who cannot afford them. If you’re looking for items on sale, then keep an eye on Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. Frames tend to be cheaper during this nationwide festivity.
Now that you know when you should buy new glasses, here are some types of eyewear you should invest in, should the need arise for it:
- Sports eyewear: Physical sports, such as football and soccer, tend to have a tally of injured athletes because of their eyewear. In fact, 90% of sports-related eye injuries are preventable had the athletes wore protective eyewear. For this reason, shelling out extra cash on sports eyewear can make the difference between seeing a game as it is going on, or foregoing one’s glasses and seeing blurry opponents. Sports eyewear are made of different materials and are designed to be sturdy. Some use lenses that are shatter-proof, to ensure that the player’s eyes will be protected even if he takes a ball to the face. Investing in sports eyewear is a must-have for those who are physically active. Aside from helping them see better, it also protects their eyes from preventable injuries.
- Swimming goggles: While swimming is considered a sport, swimming goggles are also must-haves for those who have weak vision, particularly those who are wearing contact lenses. With the right pair of swimming goggles, you will be able to open your eyes while diving in the pool or the ocean without having to worry about the water seeping in and damaging your eyes. In addition, do you notice how your red your eyes get when you open them in the water? Aside from the strain of opening your eyes underwater, you are also exposing it to harmful bacteria and organisms in the water. When you wear properly fitted swimming goggles, you are protecting your eyes against these harmful bacteria. You also don’t have to strain as more, as the goggles will keep the area surrounding your eyes dry.
- Safety goggles: Contrary to popular belief, safety goggles are not only helpful during middle school. These bad boys are particularly useful during adulthood, especially when you’re performing tasks that can compromise your eye health. Gardening, handling hazardous chemicals, and even home improvement projects are all better performed with safety goggles. Why so? These tasks put your eyes at risk of exposure to dirt, as well as splashes of chemicals, along with debris and other foreign objects. By snapping on your safety goggles, your eyes are therefore safe behind the lenses however dirty your task may be.
- Polarized lenses: Finally, the kind of lenses that everyone can benefit from — polarized lenses. These lenses are convenient during bright, sunny days. They reduce glare from the sun and helps you see with ease without having to squint your eyes. If you don’t fancy the idea of wearing separate glasses for sunny days, then you can just opt to have transition lenses. This kind of eyeglasses will change color when exposed to UV rays, meaning the tint will darken when you are exposed to the sun.
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Mind Your Diet
As in many things, your diet plays a significant role in your eye health. Eating a lot of leafy greens, omega-3 fatty acids, and colorful fruits can boost your eye health.
Eating the right kind of food is not sufficient to keep your eyes in a healthy state, though. You also have to make sure that you drink a lot of water. If you are dehydrated, you can suffer from eye dryness, which will give you puffy eyelids and red eyes. Sometimes it can also be painful. Artificial tears can remedy such ailments, but why go for artificial tears when you can prevent this by drinking more water?
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Conduct a Lifestyle Check
Finally, an integral part of keeping your eye health in check is to live a healthier lifestyle. You can start by quitting smoking. If you smoke, you are four times more likely to become blind when you get older.
Next, you’ve heard it said so many times, but it bears repeating anyway. Stay active and keep on exercising. Doing so keeps you in better shape all year round.
Finally, remember to give your eyes a break. If you’re working on a computer, take time to take a break every 20 minutes and look at something that is 20 feet away from you for 20 seconds. This 20-20-20 rule helps give your eyes a break, as well as reduces your risk of contracting computer vision syndrome.
Your vision is a significant part of your overall health, one that should not be neglected since the consequences are far too dire. If you wish to schedule an eye exam to determine the condition of your eyes, contact us today at 623-474-3937.
