If you want to maintain the health of any part of your body, you have to eat healthily, exercise, and, most importantly, have regular examinations with your doctor. All of this is true when it comes to your eyes as well. Your eyesight is very important as, through your eyes, you’re connected with your environment. If you have regular checkups with your eye doctor, you’ll reduce the risk of blindness and ensure you won’t have any eye diseases in the future, such as cataracts and glaucoma. If you’re wondering what you need to do to keep your eyes healthy, here are some tips to help you.

Have annual eye exams

Most people delay going to the eye doctor, thinking that they already have good eyesight. However, many eye issues won’t show any warning signs until they are at their later stages. So, it’s important to detect them as soon as possible, as the chances of treating an issue are then much higher. The number of visits to your eye doctor depends on your age. For example, adults between the ages of 20 and 39 are suggested to visit the eye doctor every two to three years, since there isn’t a high possibility of them experiencing an unexpected and accelerated loss of vision. On the other hand, as their vision during this period is gradually declining, people aged between 40 and 64 should have regular visits to the eye doctor. For adults aged 65 and up, eye exams should be held every year, as this age group has the highest possibility of developing an eye disease, and even blindness.

Book a bulk bill eye exam

If you’re looking to get an affordable eye examination, then booking an appointment with a bulk billing optometrist could be the perfect choice for you. Having regular eye tests shouldn’t be a luxury, so instead of getting overcharged by your local optometrists, ensure you just have a valid Medicare card and you’ll get a professional eye test free of charge. Think of going on regular visits to your optometrist as taking preventative measures for the rest of your body. By having this type of eye exam, not only will you get access to vision correction devices like glasses or contacts but you’ll also get insight into other possible healthcare concerns. These examinations can help determine health issues that are related to the eyes, like glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration, as well as aid in identifying other health problems such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, liver disease, and even brain tumors.

Consider updating your lenses

Today, it’s a common thing for people to have at least some form of vision defect, as exposure to screen time is at its highest. It’s not surprising as people spend both their office hours and even their free time in front of their screens. As of recently, a wide majority of people use at least some form of vision repair assistance, from glasses to contact lenses. Eye health issues vary from near-sightedness and far-sightedness to myopia and astigmatism. All of these issues need a different kind of prescription. As you grow older, you grow out of your current prescription and need to update your lenses. Therefore, in order to maintain good eye health, you need to upgrade your lenses every one to three years. Also, by choosing some stylish frames, you have a great opportunity to change your appearance. This doesn’t mean you should throw away the old ones; instead, keep them as a spare so you can change your appearance every day.

Eat healthily and stay hydrated

As your eyes are a part of your body, it isn’t surprising that unhealthy habits will affect your overall health. But, by implementing vitamins and minerals in your diet, you’ll significantly upgrade your vision and keep your eyes sharp. For instance, nutrients like Lutein and Zeaxanthin, vitamin C, vitamin E, and Zinc, all contribute to decreasing the presence of various eye conditions like macular degeneration and cataracts. Therefore, consider eating healthy food such as leafy dark green vegetables, like spinach or broccoli, which provide a vitamin boost. Another thing that can lead to eye health problems is dehydration. By drinking at least two liters of water a day, not only can you help your body remove the excess salt but also hydrate your eyes to decrease possible eye tension.

Reduce screen time

Also, as all devices today tend to have some kind of screen, you should consider taking frequent breaks. You could do this by resting your eyes, whether it’s from working on your computer or scrolling social media on your mobile phone. Try adopting a habit of looking away from the screen for 20 seconds every 20 minutes. In this way, you’ll reduce eye fatigue and avoid other health concerns like headaches and migraines.  

Eye health often tends to be neglected due to the slow development of eye diseases. However, eye health can in a great way influence the quality of your life, whether it’s now or later on. It’s essential that you make sure you have good eye health at this very moment, so you wouldn’t have to be worried so much about your vision later in life.