There is an old saying "the eyes are the window of the soul". There is an ancient Chinese art of face reading and the shape of the eyes is said to reveal a great deal about a person’s personality. The eyes are also portals to glimpse signs of certain health problems. Sometimes signs of diabetes and cardiovascular disease are visible in the eyes long before symptoms appear. This is a good reason to have your eyes examined regularly. By having regular eye exams, you can catch any eye problems early on when they are easier to treat.
IN BETWEEN YEARLY EYE EXAMS, FOLLOW THESE TIPS TO MAINTAIN HEALTHY EYES:
- Wear eyewear at home and work. Whether playing sports, doing the lawn, or working with airborne materials, eye protection gear can protect you from eye injury, vision loss and blindness.
- Wear sunglasses with UVA and UVB protection.
- Avoid computer strain. Position your computer so that your eyes are level with the top of the monitor, blink often when staring at the screen, give your eyes breaks by looking 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes.
- Eat green leafy vegetables (such as spinach, kale and collards), omega-3 fatty acids (from salmon, tuna and other oily fish), non-meat protein sources (eggs, nuts and beans), and citrus fruits like oranges. These foods have some of the best nutrients to maintain healthy eyes. Tomato-based foods and tomatoes may provide protection against age-related macular degeneration, cataracts and other eye diseases.
Most of us will experience temporary eye problems from time to time, like itching, blurriness or fatigue. Most of these are temporary and can be treated with self-care. However, a doctor should check eye problems that come on suddenly and last for more than a couple days.
"The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision." Helen Keller