Don’t Forget to Focus on Your Eye Health

Most of us take our eyesight for granted—unless something goes wrong. But there’s a lot you can do to keep your eyes healthy.

1. Get regular comprehensive dilated eye exams. Many eye conditions don’t have any symptoms or warning signs. A dilated eye exam is the only way to check for many eye conditions early on, when they’re easier to treat.
2. Know your family’s eye health history. It’s important to know if anyone has been diagnosed with an eye disease or condition because some are hereditary.
3. Eat right to protect your sight. Eat plenty of dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale or collard greens, and fish that is high in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, albacore tuna and halibut.
4. Maintain a healthy weight. This Healthy Weight site from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can help.
5. Wear protective eyewear. Safety glasses and goggles protect your eyes while you’re doing certain activities, like playing sports or doing home repairs.
6. Quit smoking or never start. Smoking increases your risk of eye diseases like macular degeneration and cataracts — and it can harm your optic nerve.
7. Wear sunglasses. Be sure to wear sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent of both UVA and UVB radiation.
8. Wash your hands before handling your contacts. And make sure you clean your contact lenses properly to avoid infection.
9. Practice workplace eye safety. Every day, 2,000 U.S. workers sustain a job-related eye injury that requires medical attention. If your job presents a hazard to your eyes, make sure you consistently wear any personal protective eyewear, such as goggles, face shields, safety glasses, or full-face respirators.