Once again, here are my suggestions for 2016 New Year’s Resolutions to keep your eyesight sharp, and your eyes comfortable all year long:
- Everyone: Have regular eye exams. Don’t forget how important it is to have healthy eyes.
- Computer users: Take frequent breaks and don’t forget to blink. Your blink rate drops significantly while you are on the computer. BLINK, BLINK, BLINK.
- Smokers: This year again, stop smoking. Smoking increases your risk for both cataracts and age related macular degeneration.
- Contact lens wearers: Don’t sleep in your contact lenses and replace your disposable contact lenses regularly .
- Everybody: Watch your weight and your blood pressure.
- Diabetics: Control your blood glucose. Diabetics have an increased risk for diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, and glaucoma.
- Everybody: Take a daily multi-vitamin loaded with antioxidants.
- Athletes: Use protective eye wear made of durable polycarbonate lenses.
- Everybody: Wear sunglasses with 100% UV protection.
- Everybody: Know your family history for glaucoma and other eye disorders.
- Travelers: Frequently apply artificial tears when in-flight. That long flight to Las Vegas will dry yours eyes. They don’t call it the “red eye” for nothing.
- Young males: Stay away from firecrackers this New Year’s.