Protect Your Eyes

Life happens … plain and simple.  We work every day, go to school, raise our children, act as coaches or girl/boy scout leaders and play personal taxi and cheerleader during dance recitals, soccer games, music lessons and lord knows what else I missed.

We’re busy all the time, being pulled in all directions.  We forget to take care of the most important person … ourselves.   We also take a lot for granted like the air we breathe, the sun rising every morning, the sound of laughter and the beautiful music of nature that surrounds us.  Now probably regular trips to the dentist you do to keep teeth “pearly white” and cavity free.  Frequent checkups to your doctor to guarantee all engines are up to snuff, is a general practice by almost every one.  

But, how many of you take your eyesight for granted?  If there are no issues or causes for concern, do you not think an annual visit is necessary?  Preventing eye disease is just as important as protecting your heart, lungs, teeth and those regular trips to the beauty salon.  

Your eyes are your windows to the world.  Here are a few healthy tips to make sure they stay that way:

1.        Have a yearly exam.  Many diseases affect the eye in such a way that you can see 20/20 until suddenly, one day you can’t, then it can be too late.  Children should have their first eye exam between the ages of 6 and 12 months.

2.       Good air quality in your home is essential.  Heat creates dry air so, consider using a portable humidifier to add moisture, which will help prevent eye irritation

3.       Pets carry irritants that can cause inflammation.  Not saying don’t have them but, vacuum off those areas where you sit or lie down, like couches and chairs.

4.       Keep a saline solution in your emergency kit.   Accidents happen all the time.  If you accidentally splash back soap or cleansers in your eye, you need to rinse them pronto thoroughly with saline for 10 to 15 minutes to clear the eyes.

5.       Replace that contact lens case.  Complications arise mostly because they’re dirty.  Replace them every 3 months but make sure, after you put in your contacts, dump out the solution and then rinse and dry the case before you store your lenses again.

6.       Caffeine helps.  Too much is never good though so, stick to only two servings of a caffeinated beverage daily.  (Helps us produce tears).

7.       Take a break.  Too much time in front of a computer is not healthy.  Like your body, your eyes need a rest.  Follow this old rule.  Every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away or more for at least 20 seconds.

8.       Eat plenty of leafy greens, dark berries and cold water fish.  Foods rich in omega-3s, can help reduce inflammation in the blood vessels of the eye. 

9.       Wear sunglasses.  Continual UV exposure can contribute to cataracts and macular degeneration.

10.   Carry eye drops.  Sometimes we just can’t control the air around us like dry office buildings and inside airplanes.