It’s All in the Eyes: 5 Daily Habits to Preserve Your Eye Health
Are you practicing healthy daily habits to preserve your eyesight for a lifetime? Most of our daily routines include healthy practices for our skin, digestion, and weight, but it can easy to forget about our eyes if you are not experiencing any issues with them. To help, we have put together our top 5 daily tips to maintaining and caring for our eyes, which can become second nature with a little practice and repetition.
1) Practice Proper Eye Hygiene
Sure, we all know that washing our hands is good for our general health, but it is also beneficial for our eyes. Responsive contact with the eyes, like rubbing them when we feel an eyelash or debris, cannot be anticipated; therefore our hands may not be freshly washed when we do this. Washing your hands regularly and keeping hand sanitizer nearby will help keep germs and bacteria away from the eyes, while helping you maintain your general health. Also, always remember to wash your hands before making intentional contact with the eyes (ie. inserting contacts, applying eye makeup, ect.).
Another thing that is often overlooked in our hygiene routines is using an eye cleanser when washing our face. Facial cleansers are great for the skin, but can be rough on the delicate area around our eyes and not very effective when removing eye makeup. Using eye makeup remover specifically made for the eyes before cleansing is helpful if makeup removal is your main concern, but if you suffer from dry eye, seasonal styes, or occasional eye infections you may want to consider a cleanser made for the eye area. One of our favorites is this foaming eye cleanser ($20) from We Love Eyes because it is cost efficient for daily use, comes in a delicate foam, and is vegan, paraben-free, and sulfate-free.
2) Defend Your Eyes from Long-Term Exposure of Digital Screens
If you spend a lot of time sitting at the computer or watching TV it is possible for eye strain to occur, which can have immediate and long term effects on your vision. Immediate symptoms of digital eye strain might include things likee red eyes, eye twitches, decreased productivity, headaches, and physical fatigue.
To avoid permanent damage to your eyes and vision, we recommend anyone who uses the computer for school or work to use glasses with Blue Protect lenses. These lenses have a unique coating that blocks out artificial light from digital screens and energy-saving light bulbs. Blue blocking eyewear has come a long way since being put on the market a few years ago. The first releases had a noticeably yellow tint, that was not discreet. Today, the optical industry has perfected the lens coating and tint, making them universally clear, and much more discreet. Click here to read our blog post on blue protect lenses and technology to learn more!
If you do not have blue blocking eyewear, you can also practice the 20/20/20 rule with your family to help preserve their eye health. The rule says that for every 20 minutes spent looking at a screen, a person should look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Following the rule is a great way to remember to take frequent breaks. This should reduce eye strain caused by looking at digital screens for too long.
3) Eat Your Greens!
Folic acid, a naturally-derived form of Vitamin B9, can be found in leafy greens like spinach and lettuce, as well as rice, asparagus, broccoli, orange juice, and bananas. This nutrient protects the body from development problems as well as vision loss, proving it to be vital for a good quality of life. Patients who may be concerned with or at risk for age-related eye health problems should try to get as much folic acid as possible into their diets, and consider taking an eye health supplement, which includes folate/folic acid and Vitamins B6 and B12 to best protect their eyes.
4) Always Bring Your Sunglasses
You don’t have to put away your favorite shades just because the temperature has dropped. Wearing sunglasses in the Fall and Winter is just as important to eye health as wearing them in the Summer. Think of your sunglasses as protection from the elements. You wouldn’t leave your umbrella at home in the rain or your heavy coat at home on a cold day. So why not wear your protective eye wear year round? Make it a habit to bring your sunglasses with you every time you leave the house by adding it your “keys and wallet” checklist. Also, have a pair of sunglasses that are meant to stay in the car to make sure you always have them handy.
5) Keep Up with Yearly Eye Exams
Yearly comprehensive eye exams can detect most eye conditions and problems before they become too advanced for effective treatment. At Village Eyecare, we offer complete and comprehensive eye exams that check more than justthe quality of your vision. We have some of the mostadvanced equipment and technology available toexamine the overall health of your eyes, and detectsigns of vision loss and eye disease much earlier thanwhat is possible with a standard examination. Click here to read our blog post about one of our favorite technologies, the OCT, which provides us with a 3-D image of your retina and parts of the eye we generally cannot see, for early detection of any developing eye concerns or eye disease.
Our team is working hard to provide top-notch optometry services here in Chicago. We understand the importance of good eye health, which is why we offer the latest information, technology, and methods in the industry. We offer optimal services for people of all ages. Why not call to schedule eye exams for the whole family?
At Village Eyecare, we are committed to the health of our patients. For more information please schedule an exam with our team. We have four offices here in the Chicago area, so that you can choose the location nearest to your home.
