There are many ways that you can keep your eyesight at its best from home. Good vision is necessary for a productive day. At Nevada Eye Physicians, we understand the importance of utilizing healthy eye practices. Our vision professionals at Nevada Eye Physicians in Las Vegas, Mesquite, Henderson, Pahrump, and Boulder City, NV provide eye examinations to prevent serious eye conditions from developing further. At this eye exam, we can discuss a variety of tips that help you to keep your eyes at their best from home.
Eye health tips
There are many ways that you can take care of your eyes from home for optimal vision health:
- Exercise: Exercise helps to improve blood circulation, which will improve the oxygen level in the eyes and improve vision.
- Wash your hands: Keeping your hands clean is important, especially when you wear contact lenses. Before touching the eye, wash your hands with a mild soap. Some bacteria from the hands can lead to eye infections, such as bacterial conjunctivitis. When you touch your eye, whatever is on your finger goes right onto the surface of the eye. This is one of the main ways that people catch colds.
- Follow a healthy contact lens routine: It’s important that you replace your case every few months. Also, always take your lenses out before going to sleep or swimming. Never wear lenses for longer than recommended, which can lead to bacteria buildup and the onset of dry eye syndrome.
- Quit smoking: Smoking exposes your eyes to oxidative stress. Smoking has been proven to increase the risk of many health conditions of the eye, like macular degeneration, dry eyes, cataracts, and uveitis.
- Protect your eyes: To protect your eyes from harmful ultraviolet light, wear sunglasses with UVA and UVB protection.
- Limit blue light exposure: Digital devices expose your eyes to high-energy blue light. This blue light is filtered by the macula with Lutein & Zeaxanthin. These eye nutrients are not produced by the body itself, so it must be obtained through a healthy diet and supplements. Using lubricating eye drops to soothe dry and irritated eyes can help. Our vision professionals suggest following the 20-20-20 rule, which means that for every 20 minutes you look at a device, you should gaze at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. Screen filters help minimize glare and limit damage to the eyes.
Best foods for eye health
For optimal eye health, eat a balanced diet. When it comes to protecting your eyes, what you eat may really affect what you can see. Certain vitamins and minerals in food may prevent two common causes of vision problems – cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Both conditions lead to vision trouble or vision loss. Foods rich in Vitamin A, C, and E may help prevent macular degeneration from progressing.
Foods rich in antioxidants, such as green leafy vegetables and fish, contain omega-3 fatty acids that help the macula, which is responsible for central vision. High-fat diets can cause deposits to constrict blood flow in the arteries, which can affect vision. As mentioned before, lutein and zeaxanthin are both necessary to protect the macula from absorbing too much blue or ultraviolet light. DHA can help improve this protection and can be found in certain foods, like eggs, broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale, nectarines, oranges, romaine lettuce, spinach, and squash.
Learn how to protect your eyes from home
When you want healthy eyes, it’s important that you have regular eye exams with our vision professionals at Nevada Eye Physicians in Las Vegas, Mesquite, Henderson, Pahrump, and Boulder City, NV. We offer eye examinations that aim to prevent eye conditions from developing or progressing.
Most people need an eye exam, regardless of whether or not they wear glasses or contact lenses. Those between the ages of 18 and 60 should schedule an annual exam at our office. Individuals over 60 and who wear glasses or contact lenses, and have medical conditions that affect the eyes such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or a family history of eye diseases, should also visit us once a year. To schedule this important annual eye exam, call our professional team today.