April is Women’s Eye Health Month

Between work, family, friends and all of your other appointments and responsibilities, life can get a little hectic sometimes. With such a busy schedule, it may be easy to lose sight of a very important part of your well-being: your vision health. Fortunately, there are a number of relatively simple things that can ensure you keep yourself and family’s vision in the best shape possible:

• Make routine vision screenings a priority for yourself and your family. Some people might not realize that it’s possible to diagnose and treat certain eye disorders at a very young age, before permanent vision loss occurs. From childhood to adulthood, having eye examinations can help identify problems early on, which often makes for better results.
• Take a break from surfing the Internet. If your job or lifestyle requires you to be in front of the computer the majority of the day, it’s important to give your eyes a break. It is helpful to look away from the computer regularly and focus on an object that is far away or get up and walk around for a few minutes throughout the day.
• Wear sunglasses. Skin isn’t the only thing that can be harmed by the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. By wearing sunglasses, you’re lowering your risk of developing cataracts as a result to overexposure to UV.
• Protect your eyes with safety eyewear. Two eyes are all you’ve got, so it’s not worth taking chances on injuries that could have been prevented by wearing safety goggles. It takes just a second to put them on, so always take the time to wear them when working on certain projects and playing sports that could cause eye injuries.
• Eat healthy. Certain nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zinc, Vitamin C and Vitamin E, can help prevent age-related vision problems. You can find these in green leafy vegetables, certain types of fish, various protein-rich foods and citrus fruits.
• If you smoke, quit. Preserving your vision is one of many ways that smoking cessation will benefit your life.

GBMC has a number of board-certified ophthalmologists with a range of specialties, from pediatric ophthalmology to age-related vision disorders and low vision. To make an appointment, call 443-849-GBMC (4262).

*Sources: John Thompson, MD, Retina Specialist at GBMC
*WebMD, www.webmd.com.

To view all of our stories from April's Living Healthy, Living Well please click here.