The Do’s and Don’ts of Eye Care

Eye sight is one of our greatest senses. It’s also one of the easiest things for us to take for granted. We subject our eyes to all kinds of bad habits and improper care. There are several myths about eye care out there and we want to help you see things a little more clearly. Taking great care of your eyes now will help prevent any eye problems later in your life. Protecting your eyes from harmful conditions is actually quite easy, if you are equipped with the right information. If and when you find yourself facing any of the following situations, take these best possible steps to protect your vision.

Scratch on eye

Getting a scratch on your eye, also known as a corneal abrasion is fairly common. Getting poked in the eye by a babies fingernails, a falling box, or a tree branch are all potential eye hazards. Not only is a scratch uncomfortable, it can cause eye redness, severe sensitivity to light, increase in your susceptibility to bacterial or fungal infections, and can even lead to blindness if not appropriately tended to. If you know that something has scratched your eye, don’t rub it or patch it. Bacteria like warm, dark places to grow, and a patch might provide an ideal environment. Do keep your eye closed and get in to see your eye doctor as soon as it is possible.

Eye make-up

Girls, listen up. We know you’ve been told over and over how important it is to remove makeup for skin care purposes. However, it’s just as important for your eye health, as well. Think about your vision health the next time you jump into bed without removing your eye make-up. The side effects of sleeping in make-up can include: itchy, bloodshot eyes, brittle lashes, an allergic reaction or even a full infection. Don’t leave make-up on until the next morning. Instead, make it a habit to wash it off during your ‘getting-ready-for-bed’ routine. Sleeping in eye make-up has even been connected to cases of Pink Eye in women. Pink Eye can also be easily transferred from sharing eye makeup products. Pink eye is extremely contagious and often time’s people won’t even realize they have an infection right away. It is never a good idea to share eye makeup or keep it longer than the manufacturer recommends. Cleaning out your makeup products regularly, even though it may take more effort or more costly, will help keep your eyes healthier in the long run.

Contact Lenses

Contact lenses may seem like a lot of work, especially for new users. However, once you get the hang of it and know how to properly care for them, they can make your life a lot easier. Always washing your hands before touching your eyes is a good habit to have, not just for contact users, but for everyone. This protects your general eye health as bacteria can be easily transmitted from your fingers and the hundreds of surfaces we touch each day. Be sure to clean your lenses regularly and store them in their proper casing. When it comes to your contact solution be sure that it is fresh and don’t use a homemade saline solution or tap water as an alternative. Sharing contacts is never a good idea and neither is swimming with them in.

TV or Computer Screens

Rumor has it that TV and computer screens can damage your eyes. We’ve all been told at some point by someone, “You’ll hurt your eyes sitting that close!” However, this isn’t necessarily true. Often, when using a computer or watching a movie, you blink less than normal. This does cause your eyes to dry out, resulting in the feeling of eyestrain, fatigue or a bad headache. However, you won’t suffer permanent eye damage. It is certainly beneficial to take regular breaks, and look at objects farther away from you to relieve the feeling of strain on your eyes. You eyes will thank you for doing this several times an hour when working in front of a computer all day. If your eyes blur and easily tire regularly, it’s best to have your eyes examined by an eye doctor to see what is causing it.

Reading in the Dark

This myth is similar to the TV and computer screen beliefs. Reading in dim lighting will cause strain and probably a bad headache, but you won’t weaken your eye site because of it.

Eating Carrots

By now, you have probably heard about carrots and other orange fruits and veggies being beneficial for eye health. And this is true. Carrots contain beta-carotene, a type of vitamin A, which helps the retina and other parts of the eye function properly. However, there are other foods that can help keep your eyes in good shape. Leafy greens, eggs, citrus and berries are all linked to the prevention of macular degeneration, a common eye condition that leads to vision loss in people age 50 and older. They can also help in the prevention of cataracts, a clouding of the eye lens. Vitamin C is an all around great vitamin to incorporate into your daily diet as well.

Starring at the Sun

Starring at the sun will not only cause a headache and temporarily distorted vision, it can also cause permanent damage. Just like UV rays are harmful to your skin, they are damaging to your eyes as well. UV radiation exposure is linked to macular degeneration, cataracts, and solar retinitis. Any extended exposure to the sun adds to the cumulative negative effects that UV rays have on the eyes. Always wear UV protection sunglasses when outdoors to help decrease the amount of UV rays you are exposed to. Valuvision offers a huge selection of prescription and non prescription UV sunglasses to help keep your vision protected.

Guard one of your greatest senses so that your lifestyle won’t be compromised. Taking precautionary steps and acting fast when you notice a problem is crucial to protecting your vision. The doctors and specialists at Valuvision are prepared to cater to people of all ages. Their comprehensive exams are designed for prevention. At Valuvision, correcting eye problems before they get the chance to intensify is the goal. For more information on eye care tips and corrective lenses, call one of our optometry offices nearest you today.