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We all make New Years Resolutions and with the end of January just around the corner, keep this checklist in mind for your best year ever for good vision and eye health.
Improving your eye health
- Boost your nutrition. Studies show a healthy diet with lots of fruits and green, leafy vegetables may reduce your risk of serious eye problems like macular degeneration. Consider eye vitamin supplements, too.
- Start wearing sunglasses outdoors (and have your kids start as well). Make sure they block 100 percent of the sun's harmful UV rays, to reduce your risk for cataracts and other eye problems.
- Schedule an eye exam for everyone in your family. Kids and seniors, especially, should have comprehensive annual exams to monitor vision changes.
- Clean your contact lenses properly and replace them as recommended. Dirty contact lenses, even if they are not uncomfortable, can cause serious eye infections.
- Quit smoking. Studies show this could reduce your risk for age-related macular degeneration and other eye diseases. Kicking the habit is healthy for your whole body, including your eyes.
- Start using safety eyewear for lawn-mowing, home repairs and other chores. Experts say 90 percent of eye injuries requiring a visit to the emergency room can be prevented with proper eyewear.
- If you've been putting up with contact lens discomfort, eye dryness or allergy eyes, talk to your eye doctor about changes you can make to improve or eliminate these problems. For instance, you could try daily disposable contacts.
- Rearrange your workstation to reduce computer eye strain. And ask your eye doctor about special computer glasses for long hours spent in front of the computer.
- Using glaucoma drops? Start using a reminder tool so you never miss a dose. Also, ask your eye doctor about the latest medical and surgical glaucoma treatments, which might reduce how often you need to use eye drops.
- Make sure to take advantage of everything your vision benefits plan offers in 2012. Check your plan carefully. In addition to eye exam coverage, some plans offer big discounts on eyeglasses, contact lenses and prescription sunglasses.
Improve your vision
- Blurriness? If your contacts or glasses are no longer doing their job, tell your eye doctor — you may need a new prescription.
- Unless you enjoy squinting at street signs, get a new prescription when the old one isn't working for you anymore.
- Try eyeglass lens coatings. They keep your field of view clear by reducing reflections, fogging and scratches.
- Eliminate glare during outdoor activities with polarized sunglasses.
- Consider sports-specific eyewear to improve your experience when bike-riding, playing golf, etc. Make sure your sports glasses include lightweight, impact-resistant polycarbonate or Trivex lenses for comfort and safety.
- Ask your eye doctor about the newest low vision aids, whether for you or for someone you know. Magnifiers can help people with impaired vision get the most out of their remaining eyesight.
Improve your appearance
- Are your glasses or sunglasses more than two or three years old? It's probably time for new ones, even if you're not having any vision problems. If your eyewear looks old and shabby, so will you!
- Do we have to say it? Shabby, old glasses don't look good on anybody!
- For a strong prescription, try high index eyeglass lenses. High index lenses provide the same optical power as regular ones, but are lighter and thinner.
- Think you don't look good in glasses? Switch to contacts or consider LASIK. Both are more affordable than ever, provide better peripheral vision than glasses and don't slide down your nose!
- Looking older than you feel? Consult a cosmetic eye surgeon. Blepharoplasty — surgery to eliminate those droopy eyelids or bags under your eyes — can help you look years younger.
Improve your karma
- Donate your old eyewear. Those old glasses may be worthless to you, but are priceless to someone with poor vision who cannot afford eye exams or eyewear.
- Give to vision charities. Your contributions can provide sight saving medicine, eye surgery and glasses to people in need around the world giving them the joy of good vision.
Happy New EYE Year!
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