How to Protect Your Eyesight

Whether or not you have good eyesight can depend upon heredity, age and other factors. But, just as with your overall health, there are many steps you can take to protect your eyesight.

Things You'll Need

• Eye doctor
• Sunglasses
• Healthy diet and lifestyle

Instructions

1. Have your eyes checked regularly. Many health insurance plans include annual eye exams. If yours does, use them! If you are over sixty-five or have diabetes, you need to have them checked at least once every year, if not more.

2. Wear sunglasses every time you go outside, even in the winter or cloudy days. Think of them like sunscreen for your eyes.

3. Eat foods rich in vitamin A (think orange foods like carrots, sweet potatoes and apricots); vitamin C (citrus fruits and broccoli are some good sources); and vitamin E (almonds, peanuts, and eggs, for example). These are all vital for healthy vision.

4. Avoid alcohol and tobacco products. Smoking and excessive drinking have both been linked to macular degeneration, an irreversible deterioration of the retina.

5. Keep your blood pressure and cholesterol at healthy levels. Hypertension can cause damage to the blood vessels in your eyes.

Tips & Warnings

• Schedule an eye exam ASAP if you experience unexplained changes in vision.