How to Protect your Eyes from Injuries

How to Protect your Eyes from Injuries

Compared to other areas of your body, your eyes seem relatively small and not as vulnerable to injury. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Your eyes will be a small part of your body, sensitive, and vulnerable to damage from the sun, smoke, injury and illness. An overwhelming amount of eye injuries occur when playing sports. The increasingly common occurrence of eye injuries has led to the awareness that eye protection is important in the same way as other areas of your body, like your head. Many people partake in sports that involve fast movements and flying objects. Whether you are playing sports or lounging around, small dust particles can get in your eye and damage your cornea. The best way to protect your eyes is to wear protective glasses. In order to be fully protected when playing sports, you should wear sports glasses. They are made from polycarbonate lenses, which are stronger than standard lenses, which means that they won’t shatter in the event that they come off. In fact, sports glasses are up to ten times more resistant to impact than their plastic counterparts. Eye Injuries and Playing Sports The majority of eye injuries related to sports are caused by blunt trauma from an objecting hitting your eye area. The severity of the damage is dependent on the object’s size, and the speed that it was travelling when it came into contact with your eye. The muscles that control the movement of your eye can be fractures, which can impact your ability to shift your eyes up and down or back and forth. Aesthetically, when your eye...
How Do I Care for My Eyes in the Warmer Months?

How Do I Care for My Eyes in the Warmer Months?

As there’s no sunblock application for your eyes, you’ll need to use other methods to protect your vision during the summer. If you don’t know where to start, here are seven tips that are sure to help you care for your eyes this season. Wear UV Protected Sunglasses Wearing sunglasses with the necessary protection can protect them from sun exposure and future vision problems. Grabbing a pair of sunnies with 100% UVA and UVB protection will best protect our eyes in the summer, even on cloudy days. Wear Pool Goggles Whether you’re swimming around in the ocean or a private pool, it’s important that you wear goggles during your time in the water. This is particularly true if you haven’t been in a body of water for the past few months, as the chemicals and natural contaminants can hurt your eyes. Keep Your Hands Out of There Several studies have shown that the best way to protect your eyes from diseases is to consistently wash your hands and keep them out of your eyes. Bacteria from your hand can easily get into your eyes after rubbing them for even a few seconds. Your eyes are especially sensitive to bacterial infection after such eye surgeries as Lasik, cataract surgery or glaucoma shunt surgery. Wear a Hat Regardless of whether or not you wear sunglasses, your eyes and eyelids are still exposed to the sun’s UV rays. Lower your risk of sun damage even more by wearing a hat with a brim that’s a minimum of three-inches wide. Drink Lots of Water Particularly in the summer months, it’s easy to become...
Facts About Contact Lenses You Should Know

Facts About Contact Lenses You Should Know

While there are many benefits to wearing contact lenses, it also comes with many risks if you’re not careful. They can be an extremely safe eyewear option if properly taken care of. If you’re thinking of switching over to contact lenses or have been wearing them for a while, here are seven facts you should know. Avoid water at all times No matter where your water supply comes from, it all contains amoeba, tiny organisms that can cause an eye infection. While treatable, the Acanthamoeba keratitis condition that results can cause permanent vision loss if left untreated. You should also avoid wearing your lenses in the shower, while bathing or when swimming. If you need to wear them during a swim, make sure you’re wearing airtight goggles. Always rub them when cleaning Whether you’re using a no-rub solution or a standard one, rubbing is still necessary in order to properly remove deposits on the lenses. It’s also important that you don’t reuse solution, as it can carry bacteria that fresh solution is free of. Don’t sleep with them on There’s a reason why optometrists tell you not to sleep with your contact lenses on. Because lens wearers are more prone to eye infections thanks to less oxygen reaching the eyes, you’re more vulnerable to irritation, bacteria, and pathogen growth when you’re eyes are closed overnight. While some lenses are made for extended wear time due to their breathability, it’s still not recommended you sleep in them. Always wash your hands Your hands are coated in layers of bacteria at any point in the day, which is why it’s essential...
Foods to Include in Your Diet to Improve Eyesight

Foods to Include in Your Diet to Improve Eyesight

A well-balanced diet not only aids in keeping your overall body healthy but your vision as well. On top of regularly visiting your optometrist and scheduling eye exams every year, eating the right foods can result in an improvement in your eyesight as well as prevent eye-related conditions. Here are the eight foods you should be eating for good eye health. Fish Salmon specifically is important in maintaining and improving your eye health. Fish that contain higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids will aid in the development of overall health of your retina, located in the back of your eye. Adding fish into your diet a few times a week will also help prevent dry eyes. Nuts and Seeds Almonds are among many nuts and seeds that can help your eye health. Almonds, in particular, contain vitamin E that protects against any unstable molecules that go after healthy tissue. Eating nuts that are high in vitamin E on a regular basis will prevent age-related issues like macular degeneration and cataracts. Peanuts, sunflower seeds and hazelnuts are also good sources of vitamin E. Citrus Fruits Oranges and other citrus fruits contain vitamin C, a key nutrient for proper eye health. Vitamin C, usually found in fresh fruits and vegetables, aids in keeping the blood vessels in your eyes healthy. It can fight against the development of cataracts as well as macular degeneration when combined with other vitamins and nutrients. Leafy Green Vegetables Kale, for example, is commonly known as a superfood due to its abundance of vitamins, nutrients and minerals. It’s a great choice, as kale contains the lutein and...
5 Ways to Prepare for an Eye Exam

5 Ways to Prepare for an Eye Exam

It’s always best to arrive at an appointment, whatever it may be, mentally and physically prepared. An eye exam is no exception. While the exam itself may only take 15 to 30 minutes, there’s a lot of information that needs to be exchanged in that timeframe. Making sure you can convey everything you need to in order to get the best care possible is priority number one. Here are five ways you can make the most out of your eye exam. Bring Past Prescriptions Whether you’ve seen this doctor before or not, bring in your most recent pair of glasses into your next eye exam. This way, your optometrist will have some information regarding your lens type and possible eye history to work with. The same thing is true if you wear contact lenses. Make sure to wear them into your appointment, while also bringing along the packaging and any other relevant information. This will save you, and your optometrist, time, frustration and a few headaches. Note Any Issues A week or two leading up to your eye exam, consider some eye problems you may be experiencing. Do you have constant headaches, dry eyes, a tugging sensation in the back of your eye? If you encounter anything that causes you pain, write it down so you can inform your optometrist. This way, they can focus on the possible causes of your discomfort right away. Gather Information Be sure to talk to your parents or close relatives about any possible family history regarding eye diseases. This can include glaucoma, macular degeneration, retinal detachment or anything else that has seriously affected...
Eye Health and Eye Exams for People with Diabetes

Eye Health and Eye Exams for People with Diabetes

Diabetes is a complex condition that has many less familiar side effects than the body’s inability to produce insulin (type 1) or the body’s inability to respond to insulin or produce enough (type 2). One of the most significant health risks of diabetes outside diabetic comas caused by too high or too low blood sugar is the damage done to large blood vessels that are inside your heart, brain, and legs, and damage done to small blood vessels in the feet, nerves, kidneys, and eyes. Patients with diabetes need to see optometrists who understand the complex issues diabetes can cause on eye health regularly, at least every year because there are differences between a standard eye exam and an eye exam for someone who has diabetes.  What are some eye problems that can affect people with diabetes?  Glaucoma  People who have diabetes are more susceptible than the general population to both glaucoma, blurry vision, and cataracts. Glaucoma is the build-up of pressure inside of the eyeball, and it can lead to loss of sight over time. There are many treatments for glaucoma, including medication, eye drops, traditional surgery, or laser surgery. Glaucoma can be treated very successfully, but once you begin to lose vision because of glaucoma, that vision loss is irreversible, which is why it is so essential for people with diabetes to get regular eye exams so that if they develop glaucoma, it can be caught in the early stage before vision loss occurs.  Cataracts  A cataract is the clouding of the eye’s natural lens. Cataracts usually only affect people over the age of 40, but for...