Dental Tips: Healthy Vision Care Month

The National Eye Institute (NEI) established May as Healthy Vision Month, a national eye-health observance. Healthy Vision Month is designed to elevate vision as a health priority for the US by promoting the importance of early detection and treatment, as well as the use of proper eye safety practices, in preventing vision loss and blindness. One of the most important things you can do is schedule yourself a comprehensive dilated eye exam.

Protecting your eyes start with the food you eat. Studies have shown that nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zinc, and vitamins C and E may help ward off age related vision problems. Eating a well-balanced diet also helps you maintain a healthy weight, which makes you less likely to get obesity-related disease such as type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in adults.

Sunglasses are much more than a fashion statement- they play a key role in keeping your eyes healthy, by blocking your eyes from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation and the sun’s high-energy visible (HEV) radiation. To protect your eyes from harmful solar radiation, sunglasses should block 100% of UV rays and also absorb most HEV rays. If you wear contact lenses that offer some UV protection it is still a good idea to wear sunglasses for more protection, as the contact lenses shields only the part of your eye under the lens.

UV rays can still damage your conjunctiva (the membrane that covers the “white” of the eye and the surface of the eyelids) and other tissues not covered. Extended exposure to the sun’s UV rays and has been linked to eye/retinal damage, including but not limited to cataracts, macular degeneration, and photokeratitis that can cause temporary vision loss.

Visit your eye doctor regularly. Everyone, even young children, should get their eyes examined regularly. Eye exams can find some eye diseases, such as glaucoma, that have no symptoms.