About this topic
The eyes are one of the most important parts of your body. There are ways to keep them healthy and keep your eyesight strong. ‚
Caring for your eyes includes: ‚
- Regular eye checkups
- Good eye protection
- Taking rests from looking at computer screens
- Cleaning your eyes
- Healthy diet
- Preventing illnesses
General
Regular Checkups ‚
- Go to the eye doctor every 2 years after you turn 40 years old.
- Children should have their first eye exam at 6 months old.
- If you have problems with your blood sugar, blood pressure, or heart, see your eye doctor more often.
- Have your eyesight checked every year if you wear glasses or contact lenses.
- If family members have eye problems, get your eyes checked every year.
Proper Eye Protection ‚
- If you are working around dust, fumes, sharp equipment, or chemicals, always wear safety goggles. Wear safety goggles even when doing yard work.
- Protect your eyes from the sun by wearing sunglasses that protect from UV light.
- When riding on motorcycles, wear a helmet. Make sure that your helmet has an eye shield or visor shield. Put the eye shield down every time you travel.
- Wear goggles or visors when playing sports.
- If your eyes are dry, use eye drops to keep them moist. Dry eyes can bother the eyeballs causing redness, pain, and a rough feeling inside your eyes.
- Avoid reading in a dimly lit room. Avoid staring into bright lights.
Eye Breaks ‚
- Take regular eye breaks at the office or school. Take breaks every 15 minutes. Try to close your eyes or look at something far off.
- Blink from time to time. When our eyes are busy with reading or the computer, we tend to blink less.
- Give your eyes a break from eye makeup. Putting on makeup can cause injury or bother the lids and eyes. Replace eye makeup every year. Be careful not to poke your eye with a mascara wand or brush while putting on makeup.
- A cool, clean cloth on your eyes can help tired eyes feel better.
Cleaning Your Eyes ‚
- Clean your eyes gently every time you shower. You can use mild soap, such as baby shampoo, to wash your eyelids and lashes.
- Avoid putting pressure on your eye sockets while cleaning them.
- When something gets inside your eye, avoid rubbing it. Wash your eyes with clean lukewarm water. Try to open your eyes while washing them.
Eye Glasses and Contact Lenses ‚
- Take your contact lenses out at night. The package will tell you how long you can use your contact lenses in a day. Some lenses are not meant to be worn for more than 12 hours.
- Clean your contact lenses as ordered by your eye doctor.
- Replace your contact lenses as ordered by your eye doctor. Overused lenses can have protein build-up that can bother your eyes.
- Always take wetting drops with you. Humid or very cold weather can make your contact lenses feel dry.
- Take your glasses off when you go to sleep so they do not slip and poke you in your eyes.
- Before wearing your glasses, clean the lenses. Smudges or dirt can block your eyesight. Clean the lenses with a soft clean cloth. Do not use Kleenex or paper towels. They can scratch your lenses.
Diet for Healthy Eyes ‚
- Foods rich in vitamin A and E are very helpful for eye health. Some choices are carrots, sweet potatoes, kale, collard greens, peaches, apricots, mangos, milk, eggs, and almonds.
- If you are a coffee drinker, make sure to drink 6 to 8 glasses of water throughout the day. Coffee, tea, and other caffeine drinks can dry your eyes.
- If you have diabetes, keeping your sugar at the right level can help prevent problems.
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What will the results be?
Taking steps to care for your eyes can keep your eyes healthy for years. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Injury to an eye
- Infection
- Tired eyes
- Loss of eyesight
Helpful tips
- Make sure that your workstation is adjusted to your eye level and you have the correct amount of light. This will make seeing your work easier.
- Use screen filters for computers and TV.
- Ask your eye doctor about special lenses that can help protect your eyes from screens such as the computer or TV.
Where can I learn more?
KidsHealth ‚
http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/take_care/vision_care.html ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚