You rely on your eyes every day, but when it comes to watching out for one's health, the eyes are often overlooked. After all, it's easy enough to watch out for your overall health by eating nutritious foods and it's pretty simple to take care of your dental health by brushing and flossing regularly, but what about your eye health? What can you do to preserve your eyesight and protect the overall health of your eyes? Read on to find out what you should and should not be doing.

DO Protect Your Eyes From the Sun

A common misconception that many people have is that only your skin can get sunburned. This couldn't be further from the truth; sunburn and sun damage can occur to any exposed tissue on the body, including the eyes. So when you're out in the sun, always make sure you're wearing sunglasses that have UVA/UVB protection. A visor or hat can also provide a limited amount of protection from the sun.

DON'T Forget to Take Breaks From the Computer

If you spend a lot of time in front of a computer screen, make sure you're taking regular breaks so as to reduce stress on your eyes. Furthermore, avoid working at your computer in dark conditions; always leave plenty of lights on while you're in front of a computer or television screen. When you take breaks, spend a minute or so focusing on an object in the room far away from you, as this will help protect you from vision deterioration.

DO Schedule Annual Eye Appointments

One of the best ways to protect the health of your eyes is to see an eye doctor regularly. Ideally, you should be scheduling eye appointments at least once a year, but if you have a history of eye problems (such as glaucoma), then it may be necessary to schedule them more often. Always bring up potential problems and concerns with your eye doctor--even if they seem trivial or unimportant.

DON'T Overlook Your Diet

Finally, make sure you're getting the nutrients your eyes need to remain healthy. Specifically, watch your vitamin intake and make sure you're getting recommended doses of Vitamins C and E. If you're not and if you don't like foods that have these vitamins, consider taking a daily multivitamin. Doing so will help protect your eyes from sight deterioration and long-term health problems or other serious conditions.

For professional eye care, contact an office such as Whiteville Eye Associates.

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