How to Avoid Common Eye Health Hazards
Taking care of your eyes can benefit you in a few major ways. Attention to your eyes can help prevent loss of sight from eye diseases such as cataracts and macular degeneration. Second, taking care of your eyes may stave off some of the signs of aging, such as crow's feet, forehead wrinkles and sagging eyelids.
You can harm your eyes by:
- Not wearing sunglasses outside
- Not getting enough vitamins and minerals from fruit and vegetables
- Neglecting your annual eye exam
- Rubbing your eyes hard
- Unsanitary contact lens handling
- Failing to protect your eyes in contact sports
- Not getting enough sleep
- Smoking
By protecting your eyes from sunlight, you can prevent cataracts, macular degeneration and skin cancer on the skin around your eyes. Wear 100 percent UV-blocking sunglasses every time you're outside. Larger sunglasses can protect your eyelids from skin cancer.
Diet also affects your eye health. If you have a poor diet and don't exercise, you can develop diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure that can harm your retina. The retina is similar to the film in a camera. It’s the place where the light is focused and the information sent to the brain.. Eating dark leafy greens, vegetables, fruit and healthy meats like salmon can keep both your body and your eyes healthy.
Your routine eye exam is another important component to preventing eye problems. During your exam, our eye doctor Stephen Wilmarth, MD, will look for early signs of eye disease and provide guidance for how you can care for your eyes and achieve optimum eye health.
To learn more about how you can improve your eye care habits and to schedule your routine eye exam, please contact Wilmarth Eye to schedule a consultation with our experienced eye doctor serving Folsom, Rocklin, Roseville, Sacramento and the surrounding areas.