Most of us living in Orlando learned ‘not to run with scissors’ growing up, but did you learn how to keep your eyes healthy. You brush your teeth everyday, get an annual medical check up, but what about your eyes? Whether you’re 5 or 95, there are essential ways to keep your eyes healthy.
Sunglasses
Sunglasses are more than a fashion statement, especially here in Orlando! Start them young and make it a healthy habit. Not only can they reduce macular degeneration and cataracts, they can prevent sunburn on the surface of your eyes and prevent skin cancer on the skin surrounding the eyes. Ensure the sunglasses you choose will block 99% of the sun’s harmful UV rays.
Annual Eye Exams
Your first defense for keeping healthy vision is an annual comprehensive eye exam. The retina, or the back of the eye, is the only place in your body that gives doctors a close-up view of your blood vessels and nerves without the need to be cut open. This makes a routine eye exam very useful for detecting important medical issues as well as eye issues at their earliest stages, Glaucoma, Cataracts, Macular Degeneration, Tumors, and Diabetes that can lead to Diabetic Retinopathy and other diabetes related eye issues.
Catching issues early is an important key to everyone’s long-term vision health. Dr. Ward and the Vision Team at Lake Nona Eye Care provides a comprehensive eye examination in a positive, relaxed environment for children and adults, ages 5 and up.
Eat Colorful Fruits and Vegetables
Green and orange vegetables contain lots of great nutrients for healthy vision. Leafy greens, kale, spinach, and broccoli, are loaded with anti-oxidants to help prevent cataracts and macular degeneration.
Contact Lens Care
Unless you have specific extended wear lenses, don’t sleep with them in your eyes. If you accidentally fall asleep with them, moisten them with eye drop solution, safe for contact lenses, before taking them out.
At least once a month clean the contact lens case with a sterile solution or hot water and let them air dry to prevent bacteria from growing.
To prevent your contact lenses from contaminates and grime build up, wash them daily with solution. Remember washing with just water cannot remove microorganisms, not all contact lens solutions are the same, each are formulated to provide different benefits, rinsing, disinfecting, cleaning, and storage.
To prevent infection, don’t let the tip of the solution bottle touch your fingers or anything else.
Don’t take your vision for granted and teach the children how important it is to take care of their eyes. Don’t forget it all starts with an appointment with Lake Nona Eye Care.