Are you on a computer all day or scrolling on your phone all night? Are you exercising? Eating right? These activities impact both your overall and ocular health. This month as we celebrate Healthy Vision Month, we invite you to take a moment to evaluate your habits that just might keep your eyesight safe.
Tips of the Trade
Take a moment and direct your eyes off screen to a distant picture or wall that is 20 feet away for a minimum of 20 seconds. Remember to blink. For every 20 minutes spent on screen, repeat this practice to reset and relax your eyes. Reposition your device if needed and dim screens or adjust lighting as needed. This 20-20-20 rule is proven to reduce eye strain so simply set a 20-minute reminder on your device to keep your eyes content.2
Remembering to move each day for at least 30 minutes of physical activity is also important. Daily exercise helps you maintain a healthy weight and works to protect your vision by lowering risks of age-related degeneration as well as diabetes, which can lead to diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema (DME). If you are exercising outside, remember to put on those sunglasses. Daily eye protection, even on cloudy days is imperative.
Food for Thought
Certain foods keep not only tummies happy but also your eyes. According to an article from Harvard Health Publishing, select nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, mineral zinc as well as vitamins A, C and E may help prevent cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.3 Improve your overall health and your vision by adding a few options from the table below into your diet.
Focus on Your Eyes
As a leading provider of retinal imaging equipment, it is safe to say that we are advocates – first and foremost – of annual, comprehensive eye exams to keep your eyes healthy. In fact, one of Optos’ pillars is to Protect Vision. Doctors utilizing optomap® imaging have been able to identify and treat hundreds of eye diseases.
An optomap is a digital image that captures an 82% view retina in one single picture. Many pathologies can appear in patients who had no symptoms or reasons for concern. The technology can help identify life-threating cardiovascular disease and ocular cancers that required immediate treatment plans. optomap is a proven tool that works to protect you.4
If you are in between appointments and experience decreased or double vision, eye pain, floaters or flashes of light, your vision could be at jeopardy. Please take these warning signs seriously and check in with your optical team to reduce health risks.
If you have not been to an eye doctor lately, make the call to schedule the appointment today. Your area’s optomap providers can be found on our website. Make your eyes and vision health your priority.
120-20-20 Rule: Does It Help Prevent Digital Eye Strain? (healthline.com)
2AlQadandi Y, et al. (2022). Physical activity status and diabetic retinopathy: A review.
https://www.cureus.com/articles/106869-physical-activity-status-and-diabetic-retinopathy-a-review#!/
3 Top Foods to Protect Your Vision, Harvard Health Publishing, 2013
4 Dhoot D, Kitchens JW, Lahners W, Martinez C. Advances in Imaging on-line Symposium, Pentavision, 2021.