You may have heard that the eyes are the window to the soul, but did you know they’re also a window to your health?

Protecting your overall health can go a long way toward keeping your eyes healthy. In fact, there are several health conditions, like diabetes or high blood pressure, that can increase your risk of developing some eye diseases. However, studies show that making healthy lifestyle choices can keep your eyes healthy, too.

How to Reduce Your Risk for Eye Disease
May is Healthy Vision Month, and here at Texas Retina, we encourage you to take these 10 steps to protect your eyes and vision:

  1. Get a comprehensive dilated eye exam. Getting a dilated eye exam is simple and painless, and it’s the single best thing you can do for your eye health! Even if your eyes feel healthy, you could have a problem and not know it. Many common eye diseases such as diabetic eye disease, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and glaucoma have no warning signs. A dilated eye exam can detect these diseases in the earliest stages when treatment is most effective.
  2. Know your family’s health history. Some eye diseases like macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma are hereditary so it is important to know if you are at increased risk and proactively share this information with your eye doctor.
  3. Eat eye-healthy foods. You may know carrots are good for your eyes, but so is a diet rich in all kinds of vegetables and fruits, especially dark, leafy greens like spinach and kale. Fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, including salmon, tuna and halibut, can also help keep your eyes healthy.
  4. Get moving. Physical activity that gets your heart beating faster can help protect you from developing eye disease. It can also lower your risk of health conditions that can cause eye health or vision problems, including diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
  5. Quit smoking or better yet never start. Smoking increases your risk for developing a number of eye diseases, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, uveitis and optic nerve damage — all of which can cause blindness. The good news is quitting at any age can reduce your risk.
  6. Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing diabetes and high blood pressure, which can lead to eye diseases that cause vision loss.
  7. Wear sunglasses (even on cloudy days!). They help protect your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. Look for shades that block out at least 99% of both UVA and UVB radiation.
  8. Rest your eyes and give them a screen break. This is especially important if you spend a lot of time staring at a computer, tablet or phone screen. Use the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look away from the screen and focus about 20 feet in front of you for 20 seconds. This helps to reduce eyestrain.
  9. Wear protective eyewear. Safety glasses and goggles help protect your eyes when you are playing sports or performing dangerous activities at work or home like using power tools.
  10. Properly clean your hands and your contact lenses. Always wash your hands thoroughly before putting in or taking out contact lenses to avoid the risk of infection. Also make sure you disinfect contact lenses and replace them as instructed.