Your eyes are important. They help you see and getting new ones are quite a hassle. So why not protect them so they can last you for years? Here are five ways to optimize vision and protect your eyes.
FIVE WAYS TO OPTIMIZE VISION AND PROTECT EYES
June 27th is #NationalSunglassesDay, a campaign first launched in 2017 by the nonprofit Vision Council to leverage the power of social media to raise awareness of the importance of UV eye protection. I kinda forget that eyes get sun damage similarly to how our skin gets damage from the sun. That’s why we need protection, like glasses with UV-blocking to help us out. Let’s check out some ways to protect our eyes! Thanks to the Bronx’s Metro Optics Eyewear for helping me with this article!
1. USE 100% UV-BLOCKING EYEWEAR
Whenever you’re outside (this applies in ALL seasons, not just summer) – and yes, even when it’s overcast! Up to 80% of ultraviolet radiation can penetrate cloud cover. While 100% UV-blocking, ophthalmic-quality sunglasses are ideal (which are designed to cover your entire eye and surrounding skin, preventing sunlight from reaching the eye), almost any frames can be updated with light-adaptive lenses (known to most by the brand name Transitions), which darken in the presence of UV light and shield from its harmful effects. Without the need to switch between indoor and outdoor eyewear, wearers enjoy eye protection benefits and visual comfort without having to switch pairs, reducing the risk of misplacing their glasses.
Sun damage to the eyes can be short-term: risk of photokeratitis (corneal inflammation – like a “sunburn of the eye”) which can cause eye pain and temporary vision loss; and also long term: retinal damage, increased risk of cataracts and macular degeneration, pterygium (a growth in the corner of the eye) and pinguecula (a lesion on the surface tissue of the white part of your eye), even cancer. From a cosmetic perspective, we all know that over time the very sensitive skin that surrounds your eyes will naturally get thinner, drier, and start to wrinkle. Ongoing unprotected exposure to the sun will accelerate this process, and can cause skin cancer too.
2. DIGITAL EYE STRAIN
Do you use computers, tablets, and your smartphone most of the day? Or are you like me and it’s your job? There are lenses that can protect your eyes in varying light conditions and will alleviate digital eye strain effects indoors – talk to a licensed optician, like I did, about the different lens designs and coatings available. And be sure to follow the 20-20-20 Rule when using digital devices (every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds; also be mindful of blinking – we often blink less when using devices, resulting in dry, fatigued eyes.
3. EAT HEALTHY
Eat an “eye-healthy diet:” dark leafy greens, citrus, eggs, wild-caught fish, nuts to name a few. Easy!
4. EXERCISE
Exercise regularly, and if you smoke, take steps to quit – smoking is terrible for your eye health, as well as overall health.
5. GET YOUR EYES CHECKED!
Last, but definitely not least: comprehensive eye examinations every 1-2 years with your optometrist are an EYE-ssential doctor visit! The exam will not only evaluate your vision and yield a prescription for glasses and/or contact lenses, but also screens for conditions and diseases of the eye (many of which have no obvious early symptoms for patients) and also provide a window into your overall health.
Once again, thanks to the Bronx’s Metro Optics Eyewear for helping me with this article. Protect your eyes y’all!
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Thanks for reading, y’all stay dandy. 😎 Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram!
-Diego