Protect Your Eyes

Did you know that your eye doctor can detect chronic systems diseases before they get too out of hand? And if your vision problems are left untreated for too long, it can stunt your eye development resulting in permanent visual impairment. Per-ma-nent.

As a person who has particularly bad eyesight (Hubs' eyes are even worse than mine are, so our future kid is screwed), I've always made it a priority to keep my prescriptions current and follow all the "rules" of keeping your eyes healthy. I don't want my eyesight to deteriorate so quickly or badly that I am declared legally blind before I'm old enough to rely on the friendly (hopefully) nurses at the old folks home.

There are several things you can do to keep your eyes healthy in between eye doctor appointments.

1. Keep your glasses clean and the screws tightened. 

I mean with soap and hot water folks, not just the hem of your favorite shirt. By doing this you combating the germs that get on your frames from your hands throughout the day. Maintaining your eyewear can help you save money if your prescription doesn't change at your next check-up. A pair of glasses that are well taken care of can last two to three years or more!

2. Clean your contacts case regularly.

I never thought about this much until I started living with my husband. He gets very dirty at work and everything he touches proves it. One day I looked in his part of the drawer in the bathroom and was shocked to see how dirty is contacts case was! Now I clean his and my case every 2-3 weeks. Again, combating those pesky germs from getting into your eyes. I use regular soap and hot water with a spare toothbrush to get in the grooves.

3. Take vision supplements.

Not all of us can get every single recommended vitamin and mineral from the food we eat on a daily basis (hellooooo donuts!). Over the counter vitamins and supplements to the rescue! The most important vitamin that keep your eyes healthy is Vitamin A, but make sure you are getting it from plant based sources so it doesn't get stored in your body (too much stored Vitamin A is toxic). There are a number of options to choose from, eye drops with Vitamin A in them, the vitamins separately, and there are also multi-vitamins specifically for eye health. Check this list to see what might work best for you.
Disclaimer: I am not a healthcare professional. These are options that work for me, so please contact your doctor to make sure these options are safe for you.

4. Wear Sunglasses

Did you know that your eyes can get sunburnt? Yep. Plus those nasty UV rays aren't great for them either. So whether you get a cute, cheap pair from Target or buy a flashy, expensive name brands, WEAR THEM when outdoors and in the car.
"But what if I wear glasses? I can't see without them." - There is an option for you! Online glasses shops offer a much more affordable selection of prescription sunglasses (and regular glasses if you need those too!). I got mine from GlassesShop.com, and they have a "try-on" option where you can upload a photo of yourself to see what the frames will look like on your face. Cool right? All you do is choose from a wide selection of glasses frames and sunglasses, input your prescription & pupillary distance (you can get this by calling your eye doctor), and they ship them out to you in a neat case with a cleaning cloth. Easy peasy. Use the code GSHOT50 to get 50% off your first pair.

Disclaimer: I received a pair of prescription sunglasses in exchange for my honest recommendation and review of GlassesShop.com

5. Take breaks when working on a computer (or phone or tablet or video games).

If your eyes get used to focusing on one plane too long it can affect your vision, give your headaches, and tire your eyes out quickly. So get up for 5 mins each hour and exercise your eyes by focusing on different objects at different distances aways from you. You can remind yourself to do this by setting a timer or an alarm every hour or so. Plus we all need an excuse to take a break while at work, and now you have a legitimate reason to.


Do you wear contacts or glasses? If so, have you thought about any of these tips before?