Eye-Friendly Habits You Can Start Today

You probably do things to keep yourself healthy, like eating vegetables or exercising when you can. But don’t stop there. Specific parts of your body benefit from specific healthy habits. Take, for example, your eyes. By making eye-friendly habits a part of your routine, you can go a long way toward defending against vision loss.

And we can help. As eye health specialists, our team here at Edwin Y. Endo, OD & Associates comes alongside you to help you support your eyes. Visit us at our office in Aiea, Hawaii, for dedicated eye care.

Also, make it a point to work these five eye-friendly habits into your day.

#1: Wear sunglasses with UV protection when you’re outside

You probably already know that the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can harm your skin. The negative effects don’t stop there, though. Your eyes can also get damaged by UV exposure.

Get some sunglasses that offer UV protection and make it a habit to wear them whenever you’re outdoors.

#2: Eat a healthy diet

Food powers your body, and your eyes are no exception. To function their best, your eyes need nutrients like:

• Zinc
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Lutein
• Zeaxanthin

You can get these nutrients through what you eat. If you want help developing a diet that’s great for your eyes, we offer nutritional counseling. 

#3: Get eye protection

If you work with chemicals or in construction, make sure you’re using the proper safety goggles. The same is true for any home improvement projects you tackle.

And if you play sports that risk eye injury (like ones with a small ball, puck, or racket), get and wear a helmet with a protective visor or sports goggles. 

#4: Use makeup wisely

Definitely don’t share your makeup — doing so can spread eye infections. Also, discard any makeup products you use near your eyes in line with the manufacturer’s recommendation (usually, that’s within a few months of opening the product). 

When you put makeup on, apply it outside your lash line. And make sure you thoroughly remove any eye makeup each night. 

#5: Get regular eye exams

While you can do a lot on your own to protect your eye health, you should get a professional involved periodically.

Here at our office, one of our expert providers can check your eyes for common ocular diseases at your routine eye exam. Most are easiest to treat if you catch them early. 

Also, tell us about your family eye health history. If you have glaucoma or macular degeneration in your family, your risk for these conditions goes up. By informing our team about that family history, we can make sure you get the appropriate screenings to protect you from these vision-impairing conditions as much as possible. 

These are just a few things you can do to protect your eyes. For more habits you can use to protect your vision through the years, call our office or book your visit online today.