2. Know your family’s eye health history. Talk to your family members about their eye health. You need to know if anyone in your family has been diagnosed with a disease or condition since many eye diseases are hereditary. This information will help determine if you are at risk of getting an eye disease.
3. Eat right. Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, especially dark leafy greens, are great for keeping your eyes healthy. There are also eye health benefits from eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids.
4. Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight increases the risk of developing diabetes and other systemic conditions. This in turn can lead to vision loss.
6. Wear protective eyewear. Wear protective eyewear when playing sports or when your work potentially could damage your eyes. Protective eyewear include safety glasses and goggles, safety shields, and eye guards specially designed to provide the correct protection for a certain activity. When protective eyewear is required as a part of your job, make a habit of wearing the appropriate type at all times.
7. Quit smoking or never start. Research has linked smoking to an increased risk of macular degeneration, cataracts, and optic nerve damage, all of which can lead to blindness.
8. Wear Sunglasses. Sunglasses protect your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. UV rays can cause Cataracts and other eye diseases and conditions. Look for Sunglasses that say they block UV-A and B rays.
9. Rest your eyes. If you spend a lot of time at the computer or focusing on any one thing, you sometimes forget to blink and your eyes can get fatigued. Try the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look away about 20 feet in front of you for 20 seconds to reduce eye strain.
More info found at www.nei.nih.gov/healthyeyes/eyehealthtips.