How Much Sleep Do I Really Need?
An often overlooked area of ones overall well being, your ocular health could use a little attention this month. Sears Optical founded National Eye Exam Month in 1989 to increase awareness of this important part of your senses. Can you imagine your life suddenly blind? I suspect nearly everything about your day to day would change drastically. It’s worth taking care of.
*25% of children have a problem with their vision, which when undetected is a common reason for kids to fall behind in school. Children should go for their first eye exam at 6-9 months of age, though more than 50% of kids still haven’t gone for one by twelve.
*Your overall health is a great place to start in keeping your eyes healthy. Maintaining a healthy weight can help to prevent diabetes which can lead to diabetic eye disease & glaucoma. Increasing your daily intake of leafy greens and other fruits & veggies as well as omega-3 containing fish will assist your body in keeping your eyes on the prize!
*Smoking also causes stress to the eyes (along with the rest of the body) in the form of blindness causing macular degeneration, cataracts & optic nerve damage. Quit now! If not for the windows to your soul, for the health of your entire body!
*Protect your eyes with sunglasses that filter out UV rays. 20% of all cataracts can be traced to sun damage. Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness resulting from retina damage from sun exposure as well. Keep your peepers safe from the rays!
*Unexplained or regular headaches could be related to a strain in your vision. Be sure that your prescription is current by visiting an optometrist regularly.
*When is the last time you went for an eye exam? Most extended health care plans will cover this every two years for adults. Even if you’re not an eyeglass wearer today, chances are you’ll require some sort of vision assistance at some point in your life. And if you don’t, go anyways. An optometrist is able to catch early signs of high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol just by doing an eye exam. Be sure to go for regular checkups, especially if you have a family history of eye disease or any of the mentioned ailments. Early detection of these diseases is key to preventing them from having a more serious impact on your life.
While the value of getting your eyes checked regularly truly is in the eye of the beholder, I personally think overlooking it is foolish. But seriously- they’re such an integral part of the way we live our lives, yet so easy to take for granted. Go get your baby blues (or browns, or greens…) checked out!
Related posts
