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Basic Eye Care: Protect Your & Your Family’s Eyesight

In order for our organs, such as our heart and lungs, to function well and remain healthy, we must take care of them. However, we often neglect our eyes until we have a problem with our vision. In order to protect your and your family’s eyesight, the following basic eye care and health measures were suggested by the Center for Disease Control.

 

Regular Comprehensive Eye Exams

 

Basic Eye Care: Protect Your & Your Family's Eyesight

Source: Pixabay

 

Regularly scheduled comprehensive eye exams are paramount to protecting vision. Eye diseases and problems that damage vision often start before you notice any symptoms. Unfortunately for many, once problems are noticeable, treatment is unable to restore lost eyesight. Be sure to provide the doctor with a complete family history, and stick to the schedule they provide for you and your family members. Ask your doctor if they use optomap® in addition to dilation.

 

Diet and Weight

 

Maintaining a healthy weight is very important. If you are overweight or obese, you are more susceptible to diabetes, which can lead to diabetic retinopathy, as well as an increased risk of developing glaucoma. Stick to a diet that bolsters eye health and your whole body will benefit.

 

Protective Eyewear

 

Whether you’re hard at work, or play, always wear protective eyewear designed for the task at hand. Consider sunglasses as protective eyewear, and make sure the whole family wears their shades when outdoors. The sun’s UVA and UVB rays can cause serious damage to unprotected eyes.

 

Prevent Eye Strain

 

Just as you can overwork a muscle, you can overwork your eyes. If you spend a lot of time in front of a computer screen or having to focus on something that is very close to you for extended periods, use the 20-20-20 rule to help reduce strain on your eyes: Every 20 minutes, focus on something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Learn this rule and teach it to your children as part of basic eye care and health.

 

Adding optomap to your comprehensive eye exam is another component of beneficial basic eye care. Ask your doctor if they are using optomap to detect and treat eye disease earlier.