It’s easy to take the eyes for granted when they’re working as they should. But caring for and protecting your eyes can help you maintain good vision and avoid a trip to the hospital for emergency eye care. Here are a few tips to keep your eyes safe and healthy for a lifetime.

5 Eye Care Health & Protection Tips

1. Wear Sunglasses

Just like skin, your eyes need protection from UVA/UVB rays. Choose sunglasses with a UVA/UVB coating and have it added to prescription lenses if you wear them. Keep your sunglasses with you in the winter too because, even in cold weather regions, the sun can be intense.

2. Get Annual Eye Exams

Even if you don’t wear corrective lenses, it’s important to have an eye doctor perform an exam each year. They’ll check the acuity of your vision and for diseases, like glaucoma. Caught early, many eye diseases can be stopped or slowed by treatments.  

3. Stop Touching Your Eyes

It can be hard to resist rubbing your eyes when they’re tired or irritated. This, however, can trap dirt and bacteria in your eye and scratch the surface, or create an infection that may need treatment at a hospital or doctor’s office. It can also cause blood vessels to break and can even weaken or thin the cornea.

4. Eat Your Greens

Leafy green vegetables, like kale and spinach, contain lutein vitamins C and E—two nutrients that can reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration. In addition, the lutein and zeaxanthin they contain can actually improve vision, not just protect it.

5. Wear Protection

If you do woodworking, tree trimming, welding, or any kind of labor or hobby in which particles can fly into your eye, protective eyewear is a must. Wear prescription eyeglasses? You can have prescription goggles made or buy some that go over your glasses. If you participate in a sport where eye injury is a possibility, wear the goggles or facemasks recommended by your sport’s governing body.  

The Mille Lacs Health System in Onamia, MN, is a hospital and clinic system offering comprehensive health care for your whole family. From emergency care to outpatient therapy and wellness, you’ll find everything you need to build a healthier life. Their neighborhood clinics bring high-quality care to your part of town, and their elder care services mean Mille Lacs Health System is there for every stage of your life. Call (320) 532-3154 to schedule an appointment or find a specific provider online.