Simple Tips for
Healthy Eyes
Your eyes are an important part of your health. Know your family’s eye health history. Talk
There are many things you can do to keep them to your family members about their eye health
healthy and make sure you are seeing your best. history. It’s important to know if anyone has been
Follow these simple steps for maintaining healthy diagnosed with a disease
eyes well into your golden years. or condition since many are
hereditary. This information will
Have a comprehensive dilated eye exam. You help to determine if you are at
might think your vision is fine or that your eyes higher risk for developing an
are healthy, but visiting your eye care professional eye disease or condition.
for a comprehensive dilated eye exam is the only
way to really be sure. When it comes to common Eat right to protect your sight. You’ve heard
vision problems, some people don’t realize they carrots are good for your eyes. But eating a diet
could see better with glasses or contact lenses. rich in fruits and vegetables, particularly dark leafy
In addition, many common eye diseases such as greens such as spinach, kale, or collard greens,
glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, and age-related is important for keeping your eyes healthy, too.1
macular degeneration often have no warning signs. Research has also shown there are eye health
A dilated eye exam is the only way to detect these benefits from eating fish high in omega-3 fatty
diseases in their early stages. acids, such as salmon, tuna, and halibut.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Being overweight or obese
increases your risk of
developing diabetes and
other systemic conditions,
which can lead to vision loss,
such as diabetic eye disease or glaucoma. If you
are having trouble maintaining a healthy weight,
talk to your doctor.
Wear protective eyewear. Wear protective
During a comprehensive dilated eye exam, your
eyewear when playing sports or doing activities
eye care professional places drops in your eyes
around the home. Protective eyewear includes
to dilate, or widen, the pupil to allow more light
safety glasses and goggles, safety shields, and eye
to enter the eye the same way an open door lets
guards specially designed to provide the correct
more light into a dark room. This dilation enables
protection for a certain activity. Most protective
your eye care professional to get a good look at the
eyewear lenses are made of polycarbonate, which
back of the eyes and examine them for any signs
is 10 times stronger than other plastics. Many eye
of damage or disease. Your eye care professional is
care providers sell protective eyewear, as do some
the only one who can determine if your eyes are
sporting goods stores.
healthy and if you are seeing your best.
Quit smoking or never start. Clean your hands and your contact lenses—
Smoking is as bad for your properly. To avoid the risk of infection, always
eyes as it is for the rest of your wash your hands thoroughly
body. Research has linked before putting in or taking out
smoking to an increased risk your contact lenses. Make sure
of developing age-related to disinfect contact lenses as
macular degeneration, cataract, and optic nerve instructed and replace them as
damage, all of which can lead to blindness.2,3 appropriate.
Be cool and wear your shades. Sunglasses are a Practice workplace eye safety. Employers are
great fashion accessory, but their most important required to provide a safe work environment. When
job is to protect your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet protective eyewear is required as a part of your job,
rays. When purchasing sunglasses, look for ones that make a habit of wearing the appropriate type at
block out 99 to 100 percent of both UV-A and UV-B all times and encourage your coworkers to do the
radiation. same.
Give your eyes a rest. If you spend a lot of time For more information about eye health, visit
at the computer or focusing on any one thing, you http://www.nei.nih.gov/healthyeyes.
sometimes forget to blink and your eyes can get
1
Age-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group. The relationship of dietary
fatigued. Try the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, carotenoid with vitamin A, E, and C intake with age-related macular degeneration in
look away about 20 feet in front of you for 20 a case-control study. Archives of Ophthalmology; 2007; 125(9): 1225–1232.
2
Age-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group. Risk factors associated with age-
seconds. This can help reduce eyestrain. related nuclear and cortical cataract. Ophthalmology; 2001; 108(8): 1400–1408.
3
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General. The
Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General (Washington,
D.C., 2004).
