As we finished celebrating World Sight Day this year on October 14th, here at Joy Envisioned we wanted to speak to our readers about the mission behind WSD and the importance of preserving our vision health. The mission behind WSD is to raise public awareness of blindness and visual impairment as major international public health issues. Did you know that at least 771 million people have vision loss that can be prevented or treated and that restoring sight is actually one of the most cost-effective health interventions to reduce poverty? (source:iapb)
So what can we do for ourselves that can help us preserve and protect our vision? Here are our 4 tips!
Use quality, protective eye-wear
Protecting our eyes from harmful Ultraviolet rays emitted by the sun is very important. The simplest way to ensure protection for our eyes from harmful radiation is by using quality sunglasses when we go outside. I personally love to recommend Transitions XtraActive to patients, family and friends. All Transitions® lenses, including Transitions XTRActive new generation lenses, block 100% of UVA and UVB rays to help protect your eyes from the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays emitted by the sun. Additionally, Transitions XTRActive new generation lenses return from a dark to a clear lens faster than ever, providing 35% faster fadeback so you don’t have to worry when transitioning between outdoors and indoors - you can wear these glasses all the time! Using protective eye-wear such a goggles or face-shields while playing sports or working in certain environments can also prevent serious eye-injuries.
Be aware of digital eye-strain and how to use technology in healthier ways
Since technology has become such an integral part of our daily routine it is necessary that we know how to use it well while staying healthy! It is key to be aware of our own personal screen time. We can set timers on our phone as to how long we are using our devices. Being cognisant of our screen time allows us to remind ourselves to take regular breaks. Taking 20-minute breaks in between our computer or phone usage is a great way to avoid symptoms of Digital eye-strain. Transitions XTRActive new generation lenses help provide the blue light protection indoors and block up to 90% of harmful blue light outdoors.
See an optometrist yearly for a comprehensive eye exam
Keeping up with our eye-health yearly is essential! Make sure you see a board-certified optometrist or ophthalmologist for a comprehensive eye-exam. At this exam, the doctor does more than prescribe or renew glasses/contacts. They obtain a detailed medical and family history and check the overall health of your eye by checking the front surface dilating your eyes in order to check the health in the back of the eye!
Share your knowledge with family and friends
Share your vision knowledge with family and friends. Recommend that your loved ones protect their eyes with sunglasses or other protective gear. Make sure that they use well-trusted optical brands. Let them know how important it is to get their yearly comprehensive eye exam! Share this post with someone so that they know how important their vision is!