Preserving the health of your eyes is not just simple — it’s essential to the clarity of your sight and ultimately your enjoyment of life. By adopting a small number of key lifestyle choices and habits, you can help protect your eyes and ensure a lifetime of clear, vivid and panoramic vision.
Here, experienced Toronto ophthalmologist Dr. Raymond Stein of Bochner Eye Institute outlines the best strategies for supporting optimal eye health.
Ultraviolet Rays
Sunglasses are an important way to protect your eyes, and not just on sunny days: Harmful ultraviolet rays easily pass through clouds and reflect off water and light-colored surfaces. Quality sunglasses with high levels of UVA and UVB protection are essential to preventing damage to your eyes and the development of conditions such as cataracts and macular degeneration.
Digital Screens
Damaging ultraviolet rays are at the far blue end of the electromagnetic spectrum, but you can get an unhealthy dose of blue light even when you’re out of the sun. Computer screens and other digital devices emit blue light, as do high-definition TVs and the LED lights that are steadily replacing the old incandescent bulbs. Using a screen filter, special glasses designed for computer use, and simply limiting your screen time, are all smart ways to protect your eyes and reduce strain.
Contact Lens Habits
If you wear contact lenses, keeping them free of bacteria should be a priority. When bacteria develop on lenses or in lens containers that haven’t been properly cleaned or replaced, the results can range from irritation to serious infection. And some types of eye infection can lead to loss of vision.
Rubbing Your Eyes
Because the eye is so fragile, even a moderate amount of rubbing can result in damage. When rubbing causes small blood vessels to break, the eyes appear bloodshot. Leakage from capillaries can even create dark circles under the eyes.
In the process of rubbing the eyes, your hand may transfer germs to the area, which can cause conjunctivitis or other infections. If there is dirt, debris or a grain of sand in the eye, it can scratch the cornea when you rub your eyes. The effect is even greater if you wear contact lenses.
Too much rubbing can affect your vision, changing your prescription by shortening or lengthening the distance between lens and retina. It can also cause an increase in intraocular eye pressure, which is especially dangerous for those already suffering from elevated eye pressure.
To learn more about ways to preserve the health of your eyes, please call or email Bochner Eye Institute today.