Eye Care Tips That You Can Use Right Now

Finding out that there is something wrong with your eyes is bad news. If you have avoided this situation for now, then it's not time for you to sit back and relax. Instead, it's time for you to take necessary prevention measures so that your eye health is maintained in the future.

To keep your eyes protected from danger, never leave home without your sunglasses. Invest in a good pair with proper UV protection, and keep them with you whenever you leave home. The sun is not only damaging to the eye itself, it also damages the delicate skin that surrounds them. Do not go without eye protection on sunny days.

Don't smoke. You probably already know that there are many serious dangers related to cigarette smoking. One of the less-known dangers is developing Age-related Macular Degeneration(AMD). Several scientific studies have shown that the patients who did smoke were much more likely to develop AMD than those who didn't smoke. Just another reason not to start smoking or to quit today.

When your eyes are focused on detailed work, remind yourself to look up every ten minutes. Your eyes need to be rested from the intense focus that you are subjecting them to. If you life your eyes and look out into the distance for about a minute, you relax your eye muscles.

If you start to see more floaters or flashes, see your eyecare professional right away. These may be signs of some deterioration in your eyes. If these go unheeded, it can lead to blindness as you get older. If the conditions are caught early, your eyecare professional can prescribe treatment that can reverse the deterioration.

If you wear contact lenses, avoid wearing them while you sleep or for more than 19 hours. Unless you are wearing special lenses that are made for wearing overnight, your contact can deprive your eyes of oxygen and lead to extreme discomfort and possibly serious permanent damage to your sight.

Do you play sports? Certain contact sports, like lacrosse and ice hockey, can be dangerous for your eyes. Make sure you wear either sports goggles or a face mask to limit your risk. While it may seem strange to wear them at first, you will quickly get used to them.

If you use your computer a lot, know that your eyes may be suffering. When your eyes are drying out, frequent blinking can help. Try not to stare at your screen too often. You may want to buy an anti-glare screen. Be sure you have computer in a position in which the monitor's top part and your eyes are on the same level. You want to be looking down when you view your screen.

Keep saline solution handy. Also, always wear safety goggles when you are at work. However, if you're just lounging around at home, you're not likely to be wearing them. Should soap or cleaning chemicals splash in the eye, one of the first things to do would be to wash the eye thoroughly with saline solution.

Remember to replace your contact lenses at least once every three months. Two months is actually a much better target, or even one month. Many people forget to replace their contacts as frequently as they should, which later leads to more serious problems in the eyes, such as irritation, ulcers, or infections.

When you are staring at a computer for long periods of time you blink less often. This can lead to eye fatigue. To combat it, remember the phrase 20-20-20. This means Every twenty minutes give your eyes a break by looking into the distance twenty feet away, for twenty seconds. It will refresh your eyes and prevent eye strain.

Always take out your contact lenses before you sleep. Contact lenses that are left inside the eyes for too long will harbor bacteria growth. You should remove your contact lenses every night and disinfect them properly. Failing to do so will just set you up for more frequent eye infections.

Do you wear contacts? If so, make sure you have a pair of glasses that you can wear if your eyes get irritated. You do not want to make the situation worse by forcing yourself to wear the contacts because serious problems can result. Also, make sure you keep the contacts very clean.

Give up cigarettes for your visual health. Smokers suffer an increased chance of diseases, including optic nerve damage and cataracts. If you've unsuccessfully tried giving up the habit in the past, try again. The more times that you try to quit smoking, the more your chances of success increase.

Figuring out eye health obviously can't be done just on your own. You're going to need to work in conjunction with an optometrist, and you're going to have to follow the steps that have been outlined for you. If you do this, you're going to be doing all you can to maintain proper eye care.