Save Your Vision Month

Top 10 tips for a lifetime of healthy eyes

The human body is extraordinary. It’s built cities, walked on the moon and composed symphonies. But each of us only get one, so it’s important to take good care of it. While some changes (like wrinkles) are inevitable as we age, some changes can be prevented or minimized. Learn what you can do to help keep your eyes healthy over the years and help preserve your vision.

1. Wear eye protection

Rule number one of keeping your eyes healthy? Protect them from things that could burn, poke, scratch or irritate them. There are many options when it comes to eye protection—like goggles, sunglasses, splash visors and more—but they usually serve two purposes.

Shade your eyes from the sun

Any time you’re outside (even on cloudy days) it’s important to protect your eyes from UV rays. Exposure to UV rays can damage the cornea and lens, cause photokeratitis, and potentially lead to cataracts or cancer. Find sunglasses that protect you from both UVA and UVB, and that wrap around your face to protect your eyes from sunlight from all angles. For added protection, wear a wide-brimmed hat.

Prevent sports or work-related injuries

If you’re around flying objects or liquids during sports, while doing yard work, working on a construction site, or performing experiments in a chemistry lab, your eyes are at risk. Depending on the activity, wearing safety equipment like safety glasses, goggles, face shields, welding masks and helmets can help prevent eye injuries.

2. Exercise (every little bit counts!)

Whether you lift weights, do yoga, or speed walk, getting into a good routine of movement can help keep your eyes in good shape too. Studies show a number of ways regular physical activity can help protect your eyes.

Moderate exercise may reduce the chance of developing glaucoma
Exercise can help people manage their diabetes, which can reduce the chance of sight-threatening eye complications
Studies on mice show that exercise may protect against an overgrowth of blood vessels that occurs in eye conditions such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) but it has yet to be confirmed for people

3. Watch your weight

Healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes, but when it comes to your eyes, being overweight or obese can, in fact, impact your vision. Some common ailments associated with being overweight—like diabetes, high cholesterol, inflammation and high blood pressure can increase the chance of:

Cataracts
Glaucoma
Age-related macular degeneration.

So can you just lose weight and decrease your chances of getting these vision problems? Studies are still needed to answer that for sure, so the best approach for now is to be proactive in maintaining a healthy weight.

4. Quit smoking and vaping—or don’t start

There are a lot of health benefits to being smoke-free, so it‘s probably not surprising to hear that the same is true when it comes to your eye health. People who smoke (or have smoked in the past) have up to four times the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) than people who have never smoked. Many who enjoy smoking turn to vaping thinking it’s a healthier alternative, but vaping still has risks. Both vaping and smoking can contribute to:

Dry eye
Cataracts
AMD

5. Eat eye-healthy foods

Certain foods can support your eye health now and may even help prevent vision damage later in life, reducing your risk of serious chronic eye conditions like cataracts or macular degeneration. A well-rounded, eye-healthy diet includes things like:

Greens like spinach, collards, and kale

Fruits with vitamin C like oranges, strawberries and tomatoes

Nuts like almonds and sunflower seeds

Fish like salmon and tuna for essential fatty acids

6. Give your eyes breaks throughout the day

These days, the average adult spends over 11 hours a day on their digital devices. This could include a work laptop, smartphone, TV, tablet and more. If you’ve ever noticed your eyes feeling sore, tired or blurry after a long day concentrating on screens, you aren’t alone. Many people experience what is now called Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) or digital eye strain. Among other potential causes, one of the things that can lead to the feelings of eye strain is focusing on one thing for an extended period of time. So what can you do to help? Follow the 20/20/20 rule!

Every 20 minutes
Look at something 20 feet away
For at least 29 seconds.

7. Know common eye health changes at different stages in life

Certain eye changes are quite common as you get older. It can be helpful to know what to look out for so that you aren’t caught off guard. Here are a few of the most common.

Eye changes during pregnancy

When a woman is pregnant, she may experience blurry vision or dry eye. Pregnant women with diabetes may have other risks. Talk to your doctor if you notice any changes.

Presbyopia

Ever notice a friend or family member that’s over 40 holding their phone at arm’s length to be able to read it? This is a natural part of aging, where the lens inside your eye stiffens, making it harder to focus on things that are up close.

Age-related eye diseases

Aging is a fact of life and unfortunately as we age the risk for certain eye diseases grows. For example, by the age of 75 more than half of us will have had cataracts. Tear production may also drop, causing symptoms of dry eyes. Macular degeneration and glaucoma are also a common risk. These are all reasons to increase your prioritization of regular eye exams when you get into your 50s.

8. Know your family history

Certain eye conditions or diseases may be hereditary. For example, your risk of glaucoma is up to 9x higher than average if a family member of yours has it. Knowing your family history and sharing it with your eye doctor can help them keep an eye out for certain problems, and provide any preventative care or management plans.

9. Contact lens wearers: Follow your eye doctor’s wear and care directions

Improper handling or use of contact lenses can increase the chance of complications like eye infections, keratitis, and vision loss or blindness. Follow these guidelines to reduce the chance of that happening:

Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water and dry with a lint-free towel before handling contact lenses.
Don’t expose your contact lenses to water, ever. This means no swimming or showering with contacts on.
Don’t sleep with contact lenses on unless otherwise indicated by your eye doctor.
Never wear contact lenses for longer than they’re intended i.e. two-week lenses for more than two weeks
For reusable lenses, clean and disinfect lenses properly with a multipurpose disinfecting solution. Replace your storage case every three months and never reuse the multipurpose disinfecting solution.
If your contacts cause any eye irritation, stop wearing them and contact your eye doctor.

10. Don’t skip eye exams—even if you have great vision

No matter how your vision is now, everyone’s eyes change over time, and many problems begin without any obvious symptoms. Another selling point for comprehensive eye exam? They check up on way more than just your eye health. A comprehensive eye exam can detect more than 270 diseases, like diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer and more. Recommendations vary based on age and health, but adults with good eyesight should generally plan on seeing an eye doctor every few years.

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Footnotes

Consult your eye care professional for more information. Johnson & Johnson does not provide medical advice; this information is for educational purposes only.

Important Information for Contact Lens Wearers: ACUVUE^{^®} Contact Lenses are available by prescription only for vision correction. An eye care professional will determine whether contact lenses are right for you. Although rare, serious eye problems can develop while wearing contact lenses. To help avoid these problems, follow the wear and replacement schedule and the lens care instructions provided by your eye doctor. Do not wear contact lenses if you have an eye infection, or experience eye discomfort, excessive tearing, vision changes, redness or other eye problems. If one of these conditions occurs, remove the lens and contact your eye doctor immediately. For more information on proper wear, care and safety, talk to your eye care professional and ask for a Patient Instruction Guide, call 1-800-843-2020, or download the Patient Instruction Guides.

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