Top 8 Tips for Healthy Vision

Have you found that as you get older, your vision is getting blurrier, or maybe your glasses are a few prescriptions behind?

Well, now is the time to get all that taken care of and improve the health of your eyes, because May is National Healthy Vision Month, according to the National Eye Institute (NEI). In honor of the month, let's examine some ways to keep eyes healthy!

Your eyes are a very important part of your body, and luckily, there are simple steps that you can follow to keep them at their best:

• Wear Protective Eyewear: This one isn't just about sunglasses, which are important for eye health, but also about goggles and safety glasses. When you're participating in sports or working with hazardous material, be sure to keep your eyes safe with the proper glasses.
• Eat Right: Foods such as spinach, kale or collard greens have all been shown to potentially boost eye health, according to the NEI, so work these into your diet. Also, these foods may help you maintain a healthy weight, which lowers your risk of developing eye problems like glaucoma, as research has shown a link between obesity and increased pressure on the eye.
• Quit Smoking: It's bad for the lungs and the eyes. Research has also shown that cigarette use may increase your risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, cataract and optic nerve damage.
• Take a Break: If you spend a lot of time on the computer, then you might forget to blink, which can damage your eyes. The NEI recommends using the 20-20-20 rule – for every 20 minutes on the computer, you should focus on an object 20 feet away from you for 20 seconds.
• Talk to Your Family: It's important to know if your family has a history of eye conditions so that you can tell your doctor to screen for them regularly.
• Care for Your Contacts: "Contacts are a great tool, but they come with responsibility," said Andrew Iwach, M.D., quoted by MSN Health. If you use contacts, be sure clean them properly and take them out regularly to avoid infections.
• Don't Get Dried Out: If you find that your eyes dry out often, talk to your doctor about eye drop options to keep you vision clear and provide relief.
• Get Regular Check-ups: The only way to know for sure if your eyes are healthy is to visit a healthcare provider regularly. To help you save money on vision care, be sure to look into discount vision plans, such as our Coast to Coast Vision, which has over 12,000 participating eye care locations nationwide and can help you save on eyeglasses, contacts and eye exams.

Do you get your eyes checked regularly? Let us know in the comments below!