It’s easy to take vision for granted, until something goes wrong. August is National Eye Exam Month. While visiting the eye doctor may not be your favorite thing to do during the summer (or any other time), it’s tough to navigate the modern world when your eyes aren’t working properly. 

We rounded up some great ideas on how to help prevent eye conditions from developing, as well as some ways to keep them healthy in between visits to the ophthalmologist.

Lifestyle goodies for your baby blues

• Lots of nutrients (in food form) help keep your eyes healthy, in addition to helping you maintain a healthy weight. Foods that are particularly beneficial to your peepers include salmon, tuna, leafy greens, eggs, beans, nuts, citrus fruits, and oysters.
• Stop smoking, because it can lead to a host of problems including cataracts, macular degeneration, and optic nerve damage.
• Wear your sunglasses… though maybe not at night. The same UV rays that damage your skin wreak havoc on your eyes too. Buy ones that block both UVA and UVB light.

Safety tips for your bewitching hazel eyes

• Wear safety goggles! When using tools, it’s so easy for particles that you’re sanding/hammering/cutting/etc to fly into your face. 
• Wear safety goggles! Certain sports also tend to lend themselves to eye injuries, such as ice hockey, racquetball, and lacrosse.

When your big beautiful browns are in front of a screen

• Look away! Staring at a screen for long periods of time causes dry and blurry eyes, and even headaches and neck or shoulder strain. Periodically shift your vision away from the computer or phone. Looking far away helps, and even more beneficial (if you can) is to peer at some nature, which will help you destress too.
• Look at people instead of screens. Human eyes are attuned to other people and faces, not screens. You won’t get eye strain playing games with your family and friends.
• Set your computer screens up correctly. Your eyebrows should face the top of the screen when you’re looking straight ahead. Get an anti-glare filter if you need one. You may also need computer glasses.

Help framing your fantastic peepers

• If your vision needs correction, correct it! There are plenty of alternatives out there, from permanent correction (such as LASIK) to contact lenses to glasses. Get them if you need them.
• As people age (which we’re sure never happens to OUR readers!), the muscles that help you focus on items close to you lose their elasticity. That’s why many people need reading glasses or bifocals. Reading glasses are cheap and easily available in varying strengths at your local drugstore.
• If you absolutely cannot put down the screen at night (which you should make every effort to do within an hour before bedtime), wear glasses that block blue light. That way your body can release melatonin to help you sleep. You can find reading glasses that protect against blue light too.

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