When you are young, it is easy to just assume that you will have good vision for the rest of your life. However, as you age, eye problems become more common, and they can quickly become serious. You need to take good care of your eyes to keep them healthy.

A wide-brimmed hat can be your best friend when outdoors, especially when the sun is shining. A hat offers a lot of protection for your face, including areas like your eyelids where sun can sneak in around the edges of glasses. Eyelids are a fairly common place for melanoma to develop, so cover up outdoors with a stylish hat whenever you can.

Avoid touching your eyes with your hand during the day if you had not washed your hands. When you are on the job or in school, your hands are in contact with surfaces that are full of bacteria. If you touch your eyes, you will transfer the bacteria to your eyes and raise the risk if an eye infection.

When shopping for sunglasses, it is important that the lense says it offers 100% UV protection. It is not enough to just have tinted glass because the sun’s radiation can still penetrate the glass and damage your eyes. UV protection will block out the radiation and protect your eyes from damage.

Consume oily fish several times each week. These are high in omega3 fatty acids. These acids are incredibly beneficial to eye health in addition to other parts of your body. Vary your selection from wild salmon, tuna and mackerel. The more you eat, the healthier your vision will be from it.

Don’t stare at the computer screen too long. You can end up with issues like eyestrain, blurriness, headaches, dry eyes, and decreased distance focus. Try taking breaks every 20 minutes or so by looking 20 feet away from the screen for about 20 seconds. This can help you rest and re-focus your eyes to reduce or prevent those eye issues.

When you are working on a project that requires cutting wood or other materials, be sure to wear a pair of goggles. As you are cutting, particles are flying into the air. If your eyes are not protected by goggles, a piece of material can fly in and cause irritation or damage to your eyes.

Avoid glare when possible, including that from your electronic devices. Glare is a concentration of bright light, so you know it is not good for your eyes. If you are using your device where glare is an issue, you should purchase an anti-glare screen protector for your laptop, phone or tablet.

Go to the eye doctor on a regular basis to check for any inconsistencies that may disrupt your vision and impact the quality of your sight. If you have any problems, this doctor can give you contacts or glasses you so that you are not squinting during the day, which can cause painful migraine headaches.

You want to think about the temperature along with the heating and cooling aspect of your home. Heating and air systems are one the primary causes of dry eyes. Run a humidifier in conjunction with your heating system to keep the air moist and comfortable. When the air is moist it prevents dry and irritated eyes.

If you are a smoker, butt out! Of course, smoking will lead your eyes to yellow and the skin around them to wrinkle and thin. On top of that, smoking is linked to a high risk of macular degeneration, cataracts and even damage to the optic nerve, all of which can lead to blindness.

Keep in mind that having eye issues may be inevitable for some. Many eye conditions are hereditary. You can take great care of your eyes and still have major issues. If you have family member with eye problems, you may want to talk to them about which issues run in the family. You can bring up these conditions to your optometrist so that they can watch for the early signs.

If you have allergies and use eye drops to soothe your eyes, don’t use too much. They may give you some relief, but they can lead to other problems. If eye drops aren’t adequately soothing your eyes, talk to your doctor about alternative treatments.

While sunglasses are helpful for protecting your eyes from the sun’s UV rays, it may also be wise to wear a wide-brimmed hat. Wearing this kind of hat prevents any UV rays from reaching your whole face, including your eyes. So, if you know you will be outdoors for a long period of time, wear this kind of hat.

Caring for your eyes is not difficult, and doing so can help you make sure that you have good vision your whole life. A few simple steps can keep your eyes strong and healthy for many years to come. Remember the eye care tips you have read here and practice them every day.

Everything You Should Know About Eye Care was originally published on Spring