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Make The New Year Easy On Your Eyes

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By The Tampa Tribune | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 4, 2008

Every year, we all put a few health-related items on our list of New Year's resolutions. Exercise more. Eat less. Go get that overdo physical.

What most people don't realize is that eye care is another important part of caring for your body.

According to Brent E. Parsons and Nicole Linsey Parsons of Linsey Eyecare in Port Richey, many people don't care for their eyes until something is wrong, which can lead to loss of sight, eye disease and other serious problems.

The doctors recommend these five resolutions for 2008:

1. Stop smoking. You've heard smoking causes lung cancer, but did you know that it also can damage your eyes? Because smoking impairs the body's blood circulation, it also decreases the amount of blood that circulates in the retina of the eye. This often leads to macular degeneration — degeneration of the central retina, which is responsible for perceiving fine visual detail.

2. Eat more spinach. Spinach is high in antioxidants that help prevent the degeneration of healthy cells in the body. A study by the National Eye Institute found that taking high levels of antioxidants and zinc can reduce the risk of developing advanced age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. Other good sources of antioxidants include kale and collard greens. Or take a supplement.

3. Protect yourself from the sun. Chances are you already slather sunscreen on your skin when going outside. This year, it's time to remember to protect your eyes with sunglasses specially treated with UV protection. This helps protect your eyes from UV-A rays, which can damage the macula (the part of the retina in the back of the eye), and UV-B rays (which are absorbed by the front of your eye, the cornea and the lens). Both types of rays can cause a number of problems, such as macular degeneration, cataracts, corneal sunburn, skin cancer around the eyelids, and pterygium (a growth that develops in the white part of the eye and may eventually prevent vision).

4. Schedule an annual eye exam. An annual comprehensive eye exam ensures that you can see comfortably, but it is also a tool in detecting any potential or current eye problems. Everyone older than 4 should receive an annual eye exam, whether he or she wears glasses or not. The biggest mistake people make is thinking they don't need an exam because they aren't having a problem they recognize as a vision problem.

5. Don't put off getting new glasses. Glasses that are broken, out of shape, scratched and have otherwise "seen better days" should be replaced for best vision health. Frames, just like clothing, change style from season to season and year to year. Glasses are much more affordable these days, so keep your look up to date. An extra pair of glasses will come in handy if you break or lose a pair, lose your contacts or scratch your lenses.

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