The eyes are a vital part of everyone’s daily existence. After all, they are the windows that we use to view the world. You want them to last a lifetime. They are also very sensitive organs that can easily be damaged.
So how do you protect your eyes? With so much, health care advice available today it’s hard to know what actually helps. Let’s discuss the top four things you can do to protect your vision. Doing these things every day can help protect your eyes from the dangers of life in Suffolk
Diet
As with any other part of your body, what you eat can affect your eyes’ health. To keep your eyes in great shape, you should be sure to incorporate some eye-friendly foods into your diet.
Look for fresh fruits and veggies loaded with antioxidants that combat the damage caused by free radicals. Surely you’ve heard that snacking on carrots is good for your eyes. Why carrots for eye health? They contain beta carotene, which is an excellent example of one of those helpful antioxidants. Omega 3’s (found in fish like salmon) are also great for your eye health.
Of course, you also want to steer clear of eating habits that might damage your vision. Consuming too much alcohol or saturated fat can hurt your central vision. High-fat diets that clog your arteries can hurt your vision since blockages can also form in the arteries that supply blood to your eyes. These blockages can damage your vision because they restrict blood flow.
Sleep
Regular sleep is vital for your eyes and is a critical component of eye care. During the 7 + hour period that you are asleep, your eyes get a much-needed chance to take a break from the strain of constantly focusing and refocusing.
Each stage of sleep does different things to your eyes, and all of them are important to maintaining eye health. REM sleep tones and strengthens your eye muscles, and deep sleep allows all of the components to fully relax and rest. Both of these are important for the long-term health of your vision.
Finally, your tear ducts need the chance to replenish every day. Otherwise, you will have a hard time maintaining the correct amount of moisture in your eyes. This replenishment only happens when you are sleeping. Anytime you aren’t getting at least five hours of sleep a night, you can potentially develop dry eyes, which can significantly impact your vision. Dry eyes can result in blurry vision and light sensitivity. Don’t let your busy New York lifestyle keep you from getting enough rest.
Sunglasses
The same UV rays that damage your skin can also damage your eyes. This means that sunglasses are a vital part of regular eye care. Everyone knows the sun can burn their skin, and many people slather on sunscreen every day to protect themselves from long-term damage. But most people never worry about the sun burning their eyes. However, exposure to UV rays can cause cataracts. Also, repeated or lifelong exposure can increase your risk of developing macular degeneration.
Sunglasses do a phenomenal job of protecting your eyes from UV rays and should be a daily part of your eye care routine. Be sure you don’t skip sun protection even during the South Setauket, NY winters, or cloudy days.
Wearing glasses is no excuse to skip sun protection. There are more options than there have ever been for anyone who prefers wearing glasses. You could opt for lenses that transition shades based on the levels of certain kinds of light. You can also swap out your regular frames for prescription sunglasses anytime you are spending long periods outside.
While sunglasses can help protect your future vision, there are also plenty of immediate advantages to wearing sunglasses every day. Contact wears in Suffolk report that their contacts are more comfortable, and nearly everyone has improved vision in bright light and reduced glare when they are wearing sunglasses.
Regular Checkups
The single most important part of regular eye care is seeing your South Setauket optometrist for checkups at regular intervals. Of course, if you wear any corrective lenses, you should already be doing this annually to ensure that your prescription matches your evolving needs.
Even if you don’t wear glasses, everyone else in South Setauket, NY, needs to be seen regularly by an eye professional. How often you should see your Long Island eye doctor typically depends on your age.
Children:
0-3: typically watched for vision or eye problems by their Suffolk pediatrician and then seen as needed.
3-7: At least one visit should occur during this period. Each child should receive a full exam done by an optometrist before starting school.
8-20: every two years or anytime you have a concern.
Adults:
20-39: at least once every five years
40-55: once every 2-4 years
55-64: once every 1-3 years
64 & up: once every 1-2 years
As you can see, the frequency of visits goes up with age. Many older adults start to suffer from declining vision due to aging. Furthermore, anytime you suspect a problem or notice a change in your vision, you should schedule a visit right away.
Everyday things can affect your eyesight, and those effects can add up over the course of your life. That is why you and everyone in South Setauket, NY should adopt these four eye care health tips so you can start taking good care of your eyes.
Want to make sure that your eyes are in great shape? Looking for a South Setauket optometrist? Call North Shore Advanced Eye Care at 631-642-2020. See our website at https://www.nsaec.com for more ways to protect your eye health.