The bright, sunny days of summer are here and are a perfect reminder of how important it is to protect your vision and get in the routine of practicing good habits to keep your eyes safe and healthy.
Protecting your overall health can go a long way toward keeping your eyes healthy! It’s important to make healthy choices and take good care of yourself.
Every day, you can take simple steps to keep your eyes healthy. Use these tips to protect your eyes from things that can harm them:
Wear sunglasses. Protect your eyes from the sun by wearing sunglasses — even on cloudy days! Be sure to look for sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent of both UVA and UVB radiation.
Wear a hat. In addition to your sunglasses, wear a broad-brimmed hat to protect your eyes.
Wear protective eyewear. Safety glasses and goggles are designed to protect your eyes during certain activities, like playing sports, doing construction work, or doing home repairs.
Give your eyes a rest. Looking at a computer for a long time can tire out your eyes. Rest your eyes by taking a break every 20 minutes to look at something about 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Practice good hygiene and sanitization methods. If you wear contacts, take steps to prevent eye infections. Always wash your hands before you put your contact lenses in or take them out. Be sure to disinfect your contact lenses and replace them regularly.
Keep in mind that healthy habits like eating well and being active can also lower your risk for diseases and conditions that can lead to eye or vision problems, like diabetes or high blood pressure. Yearly eye exams are strongly recommended, especially for people with diabetes and / or high blood pressure.
If you are experiencing disturbances or irregularities with your eyes, call us at 618-857-2700 to make an appointment with our ophthalmologist, an eye specialist, at Archview Medical Center.
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About Touchette Regional Hospital
Touchette Regional Hospital has proudly served the communities of the metro-east for more than 60 years. We offer 24-hour Emergency Department, Intensive Care, Cardiopulmonary, Laboratory, Radiology, Medical Specialty Services, Transportation, Sleep Center, Physical Therapy, Senior Care Services, Start Now Breast Cancer Awareness Program, Special Needs Dentistry for children, and Behavioral Health (inpatient and outpatient). For more information, visit www.touchette.org.