May is Healthy Vision Month and it is during this month when you can make eye health a priority. Most people pay regular visits to their health care practitioner to ensure that their bodies are in tip top condition. What most people forget is to get an eye exam as well. Even if eyes are of utmost importance, for most people, they are simply not on the top of the health list.
For this reason, the National Eye Institute has established each month of May to be Healthy Vision Month. This will help in empowering individuals in the United States to prioritize the health of their eyes. It will also help educate them about every step they can take to keep their vision protected
Do You Know Your Family History?
When it comes to eye health, knowing your family eye history is a good idea. If there has been anyone diagnosed with any diseases of the eye is important, since many tend to be hereditary. This helps determine if you yourself have a greater risk of developing the same diseases of the eyes.
Dilated Eye Exams
Even when you feel that your eyes are in great shape in terms of health, the only way to be absolutely certain is to get a dilated eye exam. When it comes to common problems with vision, most folks don’t realize that they may need contact lenses or glasses to improve their vision. Also, many usual diseases of the eye such as age related macular degeneration, diabetic eye disease or glaucoma usually do not have any symptoms. The only way to detect the early stages of eye diseases such as these is with a dilated eye exam. When you go through a dilated comprehensive eye exam, drops are introduced into each eye to widen or dilate the pupils. Your health care professional will then use a special magnification lens to look for damage in each retina.
Live a Healthy Overall Life
One thing that will benefit your eyes is if you live an overall healthy lifestyle including taking steps to living a healthy life. This includes not smoking, eating healthy food and maintaining a healthy weight. It also means managing conditions that are chronic such as multiple sclerosis, hypertension and diabetes, which can all impact vision. Prevent eye problems from occurring with the help of your health care provider.
Shield Your Eyes from the Sun
A fashionable accessory, sunglasses protect eyes from the ultraviolet rays of the sun. Some effects of the sun on your eyes include pteryglum, macular degeneration and cataracts caused by extended exposure to ultraviolet rays. When you buy eyewear, look for those that block out up to one hundred percent of both UVB and UVA radiation. These keep your eyes and vision sharp and in perfect health. Consider using a hat to increase your sun protection factor even more.
Eye Protection
Each day there are many job related injuries that occur unnecessarily and these require treatment medically. Using the right eyewear to protect your eyes can help prevent injuries from occurring. These include using safety shields, goggles, and safety glasses. There are also polycarbonate eye guards that are ten times stronger than plastic eye protection gear.