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For many people, the beginning of a new year means making resolutions to improve their lives with healthy new habits. No matter what you’ve resolved to do for the new year, here are six simple eye-healthy resolutions to consider adding to your list. They will help you take care of your eyes and vision and have the potential to lower your risk of developing a variety of eye diseases.
An annual comprehensive eye exam is an important preventative health check.
If you have not been to the eye doctor in over a year, resolve to call and schedule a comprehensive eye exam as soon as possible. Even if you are not experiencing any problems with your vision, an annual comprehensive eye exam is an important preventative health check that can uncover the early stages of many devastating eye diseases before they can do irreversible damage. An eye doctor can even spot signs of other potential health issues by checking your eyes, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and even stroke.
Everybody knows that smoking is bad for your health, but did you know that smoking can lead to vision loss and blindness? Studies have shown that smokers are twice as likely to develop age-related macular degeneration and up to three times more likely to develop cataracts compared with nonsmokers. So in 2018, why not reap the endless benefits and resolve to finally quit smoking?
Let’s be honest, we all get lazy sometimes. But when it comes to contact lens hygiene, laziness can have severe consequences. According to the CDC, 6 in 7 American contact leans wearers admit to at least one risky practice that could cause a serious eye infection. If you’re a contact lens wearer, resolve to review and stick to the safety recommendations laid out by your eye doctor and the American Optometric Association here.
A healthy diet can help lower your risk of developing potentially devastating eye diseases.
Eating healthier is a common New Year’s resolution, but did you know there are changes you can make in your diet that specifically benefit your vision? A diet rich in essential nutrients can boost your eyes’ health and help reduce the risk of certain eye conditions as you age. Check out our great article here and resolve to eat “eye-healthy.”
The sun’s UV rays aren’t just harmful to your skin. UV-A and UV-B rays have also been shown to be major contributing factors in the development of many potentially devastating eye conditions, such as macular degeneration, cataracts, pterygium and more. So in the new year, resolve to wear UV-blocking sunglasses whenever you are outside during the day.
If your job involves many hours of looking at a computer screen, you may already have experienced the effects of Computer Vision Syndrome. Eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision and dry eyes are just some of the symptoms that can result from prolonged periods of digital screen use. Resolve to give your eyes some regular relief, by following the 20-20-20 rule; take a 20-second break to view something 20 feet away every 20 minutes.
