Do you play I Spy with your kids?
Here’s what I Spy: Busy moms not taking care of their eye health.
When was your last eye exam? If it’s been more than two years, you’re overdue.
I get it. You’re swamped. Priorities change when babies enter the picture.
Just know – your eye health is important. An eye exam is not just about what you can and cannot see, or about solving dry or itchy eyes. Your eye doctor can also find early indications of larger medical issues.
The American Optometric Association (www.aoa.org) recommends a comprehensive exam every two years for most adults, more frequently if you face additional ocular risks.
In between eye exams, there’s a lot you can do yourself to keep your eyes healthy. Start here:
1. Wear sunglasses. Try to block harmful Ultra Violet Light (UV) to the fullest extent. Before you buy sunglasses, read the tag. Look for: 100% UV 400 nm. The 400 nm (nanometers) refers to the range of UV.
Using polarized lenses will also reduce the kind of “blinding glare” that can make driving difficult. This reduction comes with added vision benefits: More comfort, sharper vision, and more vivid color.
2. Tool up. Are you finding it harder to read text messages, books, even your kids’ report cards? Check your birthday. As we approach 40, the world up close often becomes a blurry place, even for those who’ve never worn prescription glasses.
This is a common age-related condition called Presbyopia that has an easy one-tool solution: Reading glasses. Without them, you force your eyes to work harder. Using reading glasses (over-the-counter or prescription) means less squinting, headaches and eye fatigue.
3. Take care of your eyewear. It’s harder for your eyes to see through scratched lenses so take preventative measures. Wash your glasses at least once a day to keep your lenses lint, grit and dust free. When they’re not in use, place your glasses in a case or desk caddy kept out of reach of young children and pets, particularly puppies and birds (really!).
4. Let your eyes breathe. If you love contacts and want to wear them for many years to come, take care of your corneas. Your eyes feed themselves oxygen from the air and the blood vessels in your eyelids. Contacts interfere with that oxygen flow. You can wear contacts; just don’t over wear them. Put on your glasses more often. A damaged cornea can mean no more contacts. Ever.
It’s fun to play I Spy with your kids, isn’t it? Imagine how fun it’ll be to play it with your grandkids, too. Help make that happen. Take better care of your eyes now.
Anna Fuentes, ABOC, is a Licensed Optician and owner of Art and Science of Eyewear, an independent eyewear boutique located in Lafayette and Walnut Creek, CA, that sells all things eyewear for all ages and fills eyewear prescriptions your eye doctor writes. Mention “Active Kids” for 10% off your first purchase. Learn more at www.artandscienceofeyewear.com, (925) 952-4378, or info@artandscienceofeyewear.com