October is Eye Safety Month, a time to bring awareness to the important role vision plays in everyday life. Preserving your eyesight for a lifetime is as easy as taking a few proactive steps.

“It’s easy to incorporate steps into your daily routine to ensure healthy eyes and vision,” said Mitchell T. Munson, O.D., president of the American Optometric Association. “Eating right, protecting against UV rays and visiting your local eye doctor on a yearly basis are just a few things that can help keep your eyes and vision strong.”

Regular Comprehensive Eye Exams

Routine eye exams can make all the difference since many eye diseases don’t have any symptoms. If you’re over 40 make sure you get screened age related ocular conditions including:

Glaucoma occurs when pressure in the eye damages the optic nerve, also known as ‘silent thief of sight’, because before you know you even have the disease, you have lost some of your vision.

Cataracts occur when the lens becomes cloudy

Macular Degeneration is the deterioration of the part of the retina that processes light.

Update Your Contact Lens or Eyeglass Prescription

If you wear prescription glasses or contacts they should be checked every year, especially if you’re experiencing dry eyes or headaches.

Don’t forget to replace contact lens case. To prevent complications from bacterial infections replace your contact lens case every 4 months or ask the staff at Lake Nona Eye Care about daily disposable contact lenses.

Protect Your Eyes

The sun’s harmful UV rays can damage your eyes, even in Central Florida’s winter months. The right sunglasses can keep them safe all year round.

Don’t forget to protect your eyes from debris, chemicals and even dust with safety goggles or eyewear.

Also, give your eyes a rest from digital devices. “Two-thirds of Americans spend up to 7 hours a day using computers or other digital devices such as tablets and smart phones. This constant eye activity increases the risk for computer vision syndrome (CVS) and can cause problems such as dry eye, eyestrain, headaches, neck and/or backache, and fatigue. The AOA recommends that people practice the 20/20/20 rule (every 20 minutes, take a 20 second break and look at something 20 feet away).” American Optometric Association.

Eat Eye Friendly Foods

Healthy vision can be as basic as the food we eat. Orange and red vegetables, such as squashes and carrots, and dark leafy vegetables, such as spinach and kale can give our eyes the nutrients they need to stay healthy.  There is also research showing Omega-3 fish oil can improve the health of our eyes.

Taking care of your eyes now will pay off with better vision for years to come. Don’t put if off any longer, schedule your comprehensive eye exam today with Lake Nona Eye Care or call us at 407-658-9990