Maintaining Good Eye Health tips

Don't take your eye health for granted. Protect your eyesight with these six tips for eye-healthy nutrition, lifestyle, and preventive care.

1. Get the Best Nutrients for Good Vision

Protecting your eyes starts with the food on your plate. Studies have shown that nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zinc, and vitamins C and E may help ward off age-related vision problems such as macular degeneration and cataracts. Regularly eating these foods can help lead to good eye health:

• Green, leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, and collards
• Salmon, tuna, and other oily fish
• Eggs, nuts, beans and other non-meat protein sources
• Oranges and other citrus fruits or juices

Eating a well-balanced diet also helps you maintain a healthy weight, which lowers your risk for type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in adults. As many as 45% of people with diabetes develop diabetic retinopathy, which damages vision. Having diabetes also increases your risk for glaucoma and cataracts. 

2. Kick the Habit for Better Eyesight

If you smoke, here's another good reason to quit tobacco. Smoking has been linked to an increased risk of cataracts, optic nerve damage, and macular degeneration. If you've tried to quit smoking before and relapsed, give it another shot. Studies show that the more times you try to quit smoking, the more likely you are to succeed.  

3. Wear Sunglasses for Good Vision

There are two good reasons to wear sunglasses whenever you spend time outside in the sun:

1. Sunglasses look cool.
2. The right kind of sunglasses will help protect your eyes from the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays.

Too much UV exposure increases your risk for cataracts and macular degeneration.

When choosing sunglasses, be safe as well as stylish. Choose sunglasses that block 99% to 100% of both UVA and UVB rays. Wraparound lenses help protect your eyes from the side. Polarized lenses work well to help reduce glare when driving.

Contact lens wearers have the option of using contact lenses that offer UV protection. There are two types available. One works for intense sun exposure, such as in the mountains or on the beach. UV protecting contacts are a reasonable option, but may not be a substitute for large wrap-around sunglasses. It is best to protect the eyelids and eye surface from UV in addition to the area covered by the contact lenses. 

4. Use Safety Eyewear at Home, at Work, and While Playing Sports

If you work with hazardous or airborne materials at work or home, wearing safety glasses or protective goggles can protect your eyes from injury, vision loss, and blindness.

Certain sports such as ice hockey, racquetball, and lacrosse also carry the risk for eye injury. Wearing eye protection such as helmets with protective face masks or sports goggles with polycarbonate lenses can shield your eyes from a flying puck or swinging lacrosse stick.