Around this time of year, many of us will make a New Year’s resolution to be healthier overall. But what about taking care of one of our most precious senses, our sense of sight? The first step to preserving our sense of sight is to ensure we have healthy eyes. Here are some tips to make sure you keep your eyes healthy well into the New Year:
Get Regular Eye Exams
Seeing your eye doctor for a regular eye exam is important. Adults, especially those over 40, should have annual eye exams, particularly to prevent age-related ocular conditions including macular degeneration (the part of the retina that processes light deteriorates), cataracts (the lens of your eye becomes cloudy)and glaucoma (pressure in the eye damages the optic nerve). Patients over 40 can also learn about presbyopia and their vision correction options such as multifocal contact lenses or bifocals. Children should have their first eye exam between the ages of 6 and 12 months.
Share Medical History With Your Eye Doctor
Once you go to see your eye doctor, make sure to tell your eye doctor about your medical history. Patients often don't realize that there's often a link between illnesses in the body and eye issues. Hypertension, blood pressure and diabetes can all be detected by looking in the back of the eye, so if you alert your eye doctor to your risk factors, he/she can take the right course of action during an eye exam. Also sharing your lifestyle with your eye doctor can help with courses of vision correction that are best for you.
Replace Your Contact Lens Case Often
Eye doctors recommend replacing your contact lens case every three or four months. This helps prevent possible complications from bacterial infections. Another option is to reduce contact lens maintenance and ask your eye doctor about daily disposable contact lenses like Proclear 1 day contact lenses.
These are just some eye healthy tips to get you started, but make sure to see an eye doctor for more ways that you can stay eye healthy all year long. Click here to find an eye doctor.