Finding out that there is something wrong with your eyes is bad news. If you have avoided this situation for now, then it’s not time for you to sit back and relax. Instead, it’s time for you to take necessary prevention measures so that your eye health is maintained in the future.

Get your eyes checked every year. Your eyecare professional can examine your eyes to make sure that there are no underlying problems that are developing. Even if you have good vision, it is important to get your eyes examined once a year. Doing this regularly will ensure that you will have healthy eyes as you get older.

Always wash your hands before you touch your eyes. Your fingers are covered with bacteria because your hands touch surfaces that other people have touched. If you touch your eyes without washing your hands, you will transfer bacteria to your eyes and cause irritation or even an infection. Therefore, before touching your eyes, wash your hands with soap and water.

Figure out if eye problems run in your family. If so, you need to let your eye doctor know about it. You can have your optometrist test for hereditary conditions that you find out about. The sooner it is diagnosed, the sooner treatment can begin, and that will make a considerable difference.

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.

If you spend a lot of time on the computer, take regular breaks. For a minute or two each hour, focus on a distant object. This will allow your eyes to readjust. You will experience less eye strain and reduce the number of headaches that you experience throughout the week.

Get more Omega-3. Omega-3 fatty acids have plenty of health benefits and yet another has been discovered that helps the eyes. As most people grow older, their eyes stop producing enough oil and mucus to lubricate the eyes. However, diets with plenty of Omega-3 have been shown to increase the production of the required oils within the eye.

Help your eyes out by wearing a pair of good sunglasses. They will keep your eyes protected from UV rays. Select sunglasses that block 100 percent of UVB and UVA rays. If you’re frequently driving, you may want polarized lenses. This can take away the glare from your glasses. No matter if your contacts come equipped with UV protection or not, sunglasses should be worn.

Enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning. If you’re looking for another excuse to drink coffee in the morning, then you’ve found one. Studies have shown that drinking one or two cups of coffee each morning can actually help replenish tears that help keep eyes moist. Keep the limit at two cups or you’ll do more damage than good.

Know your history. If your parents or grandparents had trouble with their eyes, chances are you will too. Make an effort to get checkups at the eye doctor more often, to ensure that no problems have developed. And, if you are diagnosed with anything, make sure your family members know about it.

If you use contact lenses, be sure to wash your hands before touching them. There are all sorts of germs and viruses which can enter your body through your eye. The last thing you want is an eye infection, or even a cold or the flu, so wash up first!

Eat plenty of greens. When it comes to eye health, carrots are often touted as the vegetable of choice. While it is true that carrots are high in Vitamin A, they are not the only vegetable that can help with vision. Studies show that lutein and zeaxanthin, found in dark leafy greens such as spinach can help improve vision even more.

If your eyes are red and puffy, try applying a cool green bag on each eye lid. The tannin in the tea leaves have anti-inflammatory properties. Soak a couple of tea bags in cold water for several minutes. Then, place them on top of your eyelids for about twenty minutes.

A great way to relieve eye strain when using electronics is to incorporate anti-glare covers or screens. Many monitors for computers and tablets use these now and greatly help your eye health over prolonged periods. You should also make sure there are no direct lights on screens to help reduce glare in this way.

Figuring out eye health obviously can’t be done just on your own. You’re going to need to work in conjunction with an optometrist, and you’re going to have to follow the steps that have been outlined for you. If you do this, you’re going to be doing all you can to maintain proper eye care.

Eye Care Tips That You Cannot Live Without was originally published on Spring