Print this checklist and tape it to the fridge — you'll be on your way to having your best year ever for good vision and eye health.
Improve Your Eye Health
1. Boost your nutrition. Studies show a healthful diet with lots of fruits and green, leafy vegetables may reduce your risk of serious eye problems like macular degeneration. Consider eye vitamin supplements, too.
3. Schedule an eye exam for everyone in your family. Kids and seniors, especially, should have comprehensive annual exams to monitor vision changes. Make sure to take advantage of everything your vision benefits plan offers in 2012. Check your plan carefully. In addition to eye exam coverage, some plans offer big discounts on eyeglasses, contact lenses and prescription sunglasses.
4. Clean your contact lenses properly and replace them as recommended. Dirty contact lenses, even if they are not uncomfortable, can cause serious eye infections.
5. Start using safety eyewear for lawn-mowing, home repairs and other chores. Experts say 90 percent of eye injuries requiring a visit to the emergency room can be prevented with proper eyewear.
6. Rearrange your workstation to reduce computer eye strain. And ask your eye doctor about special computer glasses for long hours spent in front of the computer.
7. Using glaucoma drops? Start using a reminder tool so you never miss a dose. Also, ask your eye doctor about the latest medical and surgical glaucoma treatments, which might reduce how often you need to use eye drops.
8. Quit smoking. Studies show this could reduce your risk for age-related macular degeneration and other eye diseases. Kicking the habit is healthy for your whole body, including your eyes.
