How to Care for Your Eyes
Unfortunately, many patients, including some of our Wilmington eye care center patients, take the health of their eyes for granted. To help patients maintain the health of their eyes, we have compiled a list of easy-to-follow eye care tips and instructions. These eye care tips and instructions include general eye care, LASIK, and contact lens care.
Undergo Routine Eye Examinations
It is common for patients to go years between eye examinations or to schedule an examination only after experiencing an issue with his or her eyesight or after having suffered from trauma or injury to the eye. To ensure the health of your eyes, you must undergo routine comprehensive eye examinations. Healthy adults without vision problems should undergo an eye examination every two to three years until the age of 40. After a patient turns 40, an eye examination should be performed every year. Healthy adults with vision problems should undergo an eye examination once a year. Adults with certain health conditions including diabetes and high blood pressure may require more frequent eye examinations. One of the most important functions of a comprehensive eye examination is to look for vision problems and to detect eye diseases in their earliest stages.
Stop Smoking
While it is best to never start smoking, if you already smoke: STOP! The risk of developing eye diseases and conditions that can rob you of your vision are higher for patients who smoke.
Healthy Diet
A healthy diet full of leafy green vegetables such as spinach and kale is good for your overall health as well as the health of your eyes.
Protective Eyewear
To protect your eyes from injury or trauma, it is vital that you always wear protective eyewear when working or engaging in activities that put the safety of your eyes at risk.
Eye Care Tips and Instructions for Computer Users
Patients who work in front of a computer all day may experience eye strain. To help reduce eye strain, we recommend that:
- You adjust the height of your chair so that your eyes are slightly higher than the computer screen
- You sit so that the computer screen is an arm’s length away from your eyes
- You consume at least eight glasses of water a day
- You take regular walks or breaks from looking at the computer throughout the day
Eye Care Tips and Instructions for LASIK
If you are tired of having to rely on contact lenses or eyeglasses to see clearly and are in good health, you may benefit from LASIK. LASIK has helped millions of men and women achieve 20/20 or better vision without the aid of contact lenses or eyeglasses. To help ensure optimal results after surgery, we strongly urge our Wilmington LASIK patients to carefully follow all pre-operative and post-operative instructions. During your surgical consultation, we will discuss all pre-operative and post-operative instructions with you in great detail, including when to stop wearing your contact lenses, what to expect during the recovery phase, and answer any questions you may have.
Eye Care Tips and Instructions for Contact Lenses
For our patients in Wilmington, contact lenses are an effective alternative to eyeglasses. Patients who do not want to rely on eyeglasses or who prefer not to undergo surgery can achieve clear vision through contact lenses. In order to put in and remove contact lenses, the hands must make contact with the contact lens. Because of this, it is vital that patients thoroughly wash their hands with warm, soapy water before touching the contact lens. Any bacteria on the hands at the time of placing or removing the contact lenses may cause the eyes to become infected.
In order to reduce the risk of infection, patients should routinely change their contact lenses. Many patients find it helpful to write down on the calendar the day to change to a new set of contact lenses. Others find it helpful to follow the same schedule every week (for example, changing to new contact lenses every Sunday).
Contact Our Wilmington Eye Care Center
To learn more about the many eye care treatments available at our Wilmington eye care center, please contact Eye Physicians and Surgeons, P.A., today.
