Good eye health starts with healthy habits. If you plan on receiving LASIK from an Orange County LASIK surgeon, then maintaining good eye health after your procedure is even more vital to maintain your newly cleared and improved vision for years to come. Here are some easy healthy habits you can implement into your life today to help keep your eyes in top shape.
Have a Healthy Diet
It’s no secret that having a good diet is integral to our overall health. In terms of eye health, eating foods like green leafy vegetables, fish high in oil, non-meat protein like eggs and nuts, citrus fruits, oysters, and pork may help your eyes in the long run. This is because these foods are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, vitamins C and E, or lutein, which are believed to aid in preventing cataracts, macular degeneration, and other vision issues caused by old age. A healthy diet in general is also good to have because it can reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, which, according to The CDC, is currently the number one cause of vision loss in American adults.
Refrain From Smoking
Most people may not associate eye health with smoking, but it’s actually a very dangerous habit because it can damage the optic nerve and increase the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts. Unfortunately, this is a rather difficult habit to break as it can take a lot of patience and will power. However, quitting isn’t impossible and something you should definitely consider for your overall health and well-being, if not just for your eye health. If you are currently a smoker seeking to quit, ensure your chances of success by talking to your doctor, and doing your research.
Protect Your Eyes From UV Rays
Like our skin, our eyes are very sensitive to the sun’s harmful UV rays. For eyes, too much UV exposure can further your odds of macular degeneration and cataracts. The best way to combat this is to wear protective sunglasses that can effectively block both UVA and UVB rays. If you want the best protection against UV exposure possible, opt for lenses that block 99-100% of UVA and UVB rays. Wraparound glasses are also a good idea if you would like to protect the sides of your eyes as well.
Consider Wearing Safety Eyewear
Whether it’s because of a job or hobby, if you often find yourself in environments where things are being thrown or hazardous materials are present, you should wear safety eyewear. This is because these types of situations present an increased risk of eye injury due to something dangerous entering or hitting your eye. For this reason, safety eyewear is necessary to shield your eyes from danger and prevent injury. In fact, if you are getting LASIK from a LASIK center, you can expect your surgeon to suggest wearing safety eyewear in the recovery process.
Take a Break From Your Computer
Staring at any type of electronic screen for extended lengths can damage your eyes and cause blurred vision, headaches, dry eyes, issues focusing at things in the distance, and eyestrain. Here’s a list of things you can do other than reducing your screen time to help your eyes out:
- After every 20 minutes of screen time, rest your eyes and spend 20 seconds focusing on something 20 feet ahead. After every 2 hours of screen time, get up and rest for 15 minutes.
- Make sure you have good posture with both feet flat on the floor and eyes level with the top of the monitor. This positioning of your eyes is helpful because it lets you look at the screen from a slanted angle.
- Reduce eye strain by using computer glasses. Haven’t heard of computer glasses? Talk to a LASIK surgeon to find out how computer glasses can improve your vision.
- Avoid glares on the screen/use an anti-glare screen.
- Blink more often or use eye drops if your eyes feel drier than normal.
Regularly See Your Eye Doctor
Regular eye exams are important because a professional can make sure your eyes are functioning properly and catch concerning symptoms. Ultimately, attending regular eye exams is an amazing way to care for your eyes in the long term.
While LASIK is an incredibly life-changing surgery that can give recipients the vision of their dreams, the results need to be maintained with healthy eye habits. If you decide you want to receive laser eye surgery in Orange County, talk to your surgeon to go over what habits you have that may be impacting your eyes and what improvements you can make to upkeep your results.