MYEYEDR. SHARES TIPS FOR OPTIMIZING VISION HEALTH IN 2018

With the new year comes a fresh start. While many Americans will make plans to change their habits, a large majority of resolutions are focused on health-related outcomes. In fact, according to Google metrics, the most popular 2017 New Year’s resolution was getting healthy, which had more than 62 million searches between January and October 2016.

That commitment to focusing on physical health extends to employing techniques to care for your eyes. There are several lifestyle habits that can have positive implications for sight and help combat issues that lead to vision impairment or blindness.

Raising awareness for the importance of eye health during the start of the year, Prevent Blindness has named January Glaucoma Awareness Month and February Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Month. During this time, the industry is committed to raising awareness of the more than four million individuals in the United States currently suffering from these diseases.

To kick off 2018 with your eyes in mind, MyEyeDr. shares five lifestyle habits that lend a hand to healthy vision: 

• Eat your veggies. A diet rich in beta carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids and certain vitamins play a key factor in overall eye health, and help guard against vision loss from eye disease, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). To ensure eyes are performing their best, eat a diet rich in green, leafy vegetables, fruit and fish, while avoiding processed snack foods and soft drinks.
• Get active. Make it a goal to incorporate at least 30 minutes of exercise into your everyday routine. Healthy weight and normal blood pressure levels are key to improving your overall health, including your eyes.
• Avoid smoking. Choose not to smoke. Several research studies suggest smoking can likely increase deterioration of the macula due to the increased chemical compounds in the bloodstream, reducing blood and oxygen flow to the eye. 
• Sport the shades. Sunglasses serve as a fashion statement, but the right pair can shield your eyes from the sun’s harmful UV rays, even in the winter months. Prolonged and high levels of UV rays can lead to serious health problems, including cataracts and macular degeneration. Remember to sport your shades to protect your eyes during UV exposure.
• Schedule an annual eye exam. An annual eye exam is recommended for everyone, even when vision issues aren’t apparent. Having a routine comprehensive eye exam is the most important thing you can do to prevent or treat vision issues. Consult your local optometrist and schedule an annual eye exam to detect issues early and ensure proper treatment so you can continue seeing clearly.

“The beginning of the year is a great time to hit the reset button on poor health habits,” said Dr. Artis Beatty, chief medical officer at MyEyeDr. “Healthy lifestyle habits can have positive benefits for the entire body – eyes included. An annual eye exam, however, can shed light on other systemic conditions that may require more targeted lifestyle changes or potentially affect your overall health. Surprisingly, vision loss is the number two health concern in the US, behind only cancer, yet eye exams aren't a part of many people's regular health check-ups.”

MyEyeDr. works closely with individuals to detect eye issues like glaucoma and AMD early to prevent further vision loss. Interested in knowing where your vision stands? Check out this vision simulator to see first-hand how common vision issues affect everyday life and schedule your next eye exam today.