Top Tips for Protecting Your Eyes

When thinking about your health, the first things that might come to mind are managing your diet and doing regular exercise. This takes care of your body by giving it all the right nutrition it needs while strengthening your muscles, flexing your joints, and keeping your heart healthy, too. You might even be wary of your dental hygiene, too, but how often do you consider your eye health? It’s easy to forget about your eyes, but they can get tired and develop problems as well, so to make sure they stay healthy and protected, use the tips below.

Go for Eye Tests

Just like you should visit your doctor for a health check-up once a year, you should also be having your eyes tested every two years. This is even more important if you notice any of the following: blurred vision, double vision, squinting and straining to read things either close or far away, getting headaches around your eyes, or seeing things with auras around them. These are all signs that your eyes are struggling, and you might need prescription glasses to help them function properly and to stop the problem from getting worse.

Make Sure You Have the Right Prescription

If you do need glasses or contact lenses, you must be getting the right prescription. Your optometrist will carry out your eye test and write a prescription for you should you need one. Your optician will check this and help you to find the right glasses to suit your style and make sure they are fitted with the correct lenses. You can also get prescription contact lenses if you prefer. If you’re quite active, you might need to get sports contacts as these might be more suitable when working out at the gym or playing sports than glasses.

Wear Sunglasses

Even if you don’t need to wear glasses when the sun is shining you should always have a pair of sunglasses with you to wear. The bright light can strain and damage your eyes if you’re not careful, and this is why you often squint when you’re out in the sunshine. Glare from car windows and other reflective surfaces can be dazzling, so wearing sunglasses can help to keep your eyes protected and allow you to see more clearly.

Take Regular Breaks from Screens

If you work at a computer for the majority of your day or are always on your phone or tablet, it’s important to take regular breaks. Not only does stretching your legs help you stop feeling stiff and reduce things like back pain, but it will also help to keep your eyes from becoming strained and tired. The artificial light from your screen can cause this if you’re staring at it for too long. You might also want to invest in some blue-light glasses that have been designed to filter the glare from your computer screen.

If you want to protect your eyes and keep them healthy, start using the tips above if you don’t already and see how they can make a big difference. If you do start to notice changes in your vision, make sure you book in to see an optometrist as soon as possible.