Great New Years Resolutions for Healthier Eyes & Vision 

With the new year upon us, you may be setting some healthy New Year’s resolutions to improve your well-being. In fact, many Americans do the same thing this time of year as they look to lose weight, sleep better, and become more disciplined. 

A great goal to add into the mix is proper eye care. By focusing on certain habits, we can ensure our vision stays sharp and our eyes remain as healthy as possible. Great eye care can also prevent eye problems and diseases from forming in the future.  

To assist in this endeavor, we would like to share some tips on improving eye health. Keep reading below to learn more and get started!

Schedule Your Annual Eye Exam

Visiting our doctor for an annual eye exam is one of the most important things we can do to keep our eyes healthy. These exams are even more important if you have any problems with your vision or vulnerable to potential diseases. 

For example, people with diabetes benefit greatly from eye exams as they can prevent the formation of diabetic eye disease. Knowing your family history and other health factors can also be helpful in preventing potential eye issues.

Many times eye issues show no early symptoms and grow undetected by the average person. Thankfully, eye care professionals like optometrists and ophthalmologists know what to look for to prevent vision problems and eye diseases from causing damage. If your doctor does detect a problem, they will be able to treat it properly and in a timely manner. 

Don’t Forget to Wear Sunglasses

Wearing sunglasses can do wonders in preventing harmful UV and HEV (high-energy visible) rays from damaging your eyes. Prolonged exposure to strong UV rays has been known to cause serious vision problems such as macular degeneration, cataracts, and cancer. When choosing a pair of sunglasses, make sure that they provide 100% protection from both UVA and UVB rays. 

Put Down the Cigarettes

Everyone knows that smoking cigarettes is bad for our health, but did you know that it can also cause serious damage to your eyesight? Many studies have shown that smoking increases the risk of age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and Dry Eye Syndrome.

For people with diabetes, smoking could triple or quadruple the retinopathy progression rate of diabetic complications. In fact, the more you smoke, the higher your risk of vision loss and eye damage. 

To make sure your eyesight stays good for many years it is best to give up smoking and build a healthy lifestyle based on nutritious foods and regular activity. To learn more about smoking and eye damage, click here for a related blog. 

Eat a Plant-Based Diet

Switching to a plant-based diet is a great way to boost overall eye health and prevent eye problems from forming. Vegetables provide so many nutrients that nourish our eyes and keep them strong. In fact, a diet rich in vitamins and antioxidants can lower the risk of developing diabetic eye diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration. Some essential nutrients for eye health include:

• Omega-3 fatty acids 
• Beta carotene
• Lutein
• Zinc

Some examples of foods containing these nutrients are carrots, salmon, sweet potatoes, berries, nuts, and leafy green vegetables. Start by adding more vegetables to your meals and gradually increase your total vegetable intake. 

Conclusion

We hope these tips can help you with your eye health as we embark upon a new year. Remember to visit your doctor to get an eye exam every year to prevent problems from arising. Maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle will also do wonders to protect your eyes in the long-run. If you’d like to get an eye exam, please contact us to make an appointment.