4 Good Habits for Healthy Vision

Most people with healthy vision don’t really think about how their lifestyle and health habits affect their eyes until something goes wrong. While some vision problems become more common as you age, poor vision is not inevitable. 

In fact, there are a number of proactive steps that everyone can take at every age to limit the damage from environmental, health, and other lifestyle factors that can be harmful to your vision down the road. 

At Suburban Eyes Clinic, our ophthalmologist Dr. Phillip Wu, and our team of vision care specialists offer a range of ophthalmology services at our office in Evanston, Illinois. 

4 Steps for Healthy Vision

The best way to protect yourself from vision problems, especially as you age, is to start caring for and investing in your vision and eye health as soon as possible. This is especially true if you have underlying medical conditions that can potentially impact your vision, like diabetes and high blood pressure. 

Here are four healthy habits that you can incorporate to protect your vision.

Rest your eyes

Americans are spending more time staring at screens than ever before. According to data from multiple studies, the average American can spend anywhere from 6-11 hours per day reading and watching videos on their smartphones, tablets, and laptops.

Think about how your eyes felt the last time you sat in front of your computer for hours on end without taking a break. From blurry vision to dry eyes, all that screen time can lead to short and long term vision problems. 

While you may not be able to get rid of your screens altogether, giving your eyes a chance to rest and recharge throughout the day can lower the risk of eye strain and vision problems. 

Known as the 20/20/20 rule, experts recommend taking a break from your screen every 20 minutes, and focusing your eyes on something at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds. 

Use the right sunglasses

Sunglasses are about more than just style. The sun’s UV rays are as harmful to your eyes as they are to your skin, so protecting your eyes from exposure is key. Make sure that your sunglasses fit comfortably and cover the eyes completely, and that the lenses include 100% UV ray protection.

Eat a vision healthy diet

You may not necessarily consider how the food you eat affects your vision, but like the rest of your body, your eyes need certain vitamins and nutrients to stay healthy, especially as you get older. 

Not surprisingly, the same foods that help you maintain a healthy weight and overall good health are also vital for good vision:

• Green, leafy produce like kale and spinach
• Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids like tuna and salmon
• Vitamin C (citrus fruits like oranges)
• Nuts
• Legumes
• Carrots
• Water

A healthy diet also helps to lower the risk of some of the underlying health conditions that can cause vision problems like diabetes and high blood pressure.

Get regular eye exams

Regular comprehensive eye exams are the best place to start. Subtle changes that you may not notice right away can have a long-term impact on your vision, so treat regular eye exams like a mandatory part of your overall health and well-being plan.

For more information about what you can do to protect and improve your vision, contact us today to schedule an eye exam with Dr. Wu, or you can also book an appointment online.