May is Healthy Vision Month: You can have a comprehensive dilated eye exam to check for common eye problems. If you haven’t had an exam in a while, schedule one now.
To keep your eyes healthy, get a comprehensive dilated eye exam: an eye care professional will use drops to widen the pupils to check for common vision problems and eye diseases.
Vision Health for All Ages
You can have a dilated eye exam regularly to check for common eye problems. If you haven’t had an exam for some time, schedule one this month.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC’s) Vision Health Initiative partners with the National Eye Institute to encourage all Americans to make vision a health priority this Healthy Vision Month.
- Although older adults tend to have more vision problems, preschoolers may not see as well as they can.
- Just 1 out of every 7 preschoolers receives an eye exam, and fewer than 1 out of every 4 receives some type of vision screening.
- The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends vision screening for all children aged 3 to 5 years to find conditions such as amblyopia, or lazy eye, which can be treated effectively if caught early.
9 ways you can help protect your vision
- Get regular comprehensive dilated eye exams.
- Know your family’s eye health history. It’s important to know if anyone has been diagnosed with an eye disease or condition, since some are hereditary.
- Eat right to protect your sight: In particular, eat plenty of dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, or collard greens, and fish that is high in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, albacore tuna, trout, and halibut.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Wear protective eyewear when playing sports or doing activities around the home, such as painting, yard work, and home repairs.
- Quit smoking or never start.
- Wear sunglasses that block 99 percent-100 percent of ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation.
- Wash your hands before taking out your contacts and cleanse your contact lenses properly to avoid infection.
- Practice workplace eye safety.
