+ Caring for Your Eyes By: Irah P. 3

+ To Keep Your Eyes Healthy… Main Point: It is important to protect your eyes from damage and to have regular eye exams. Tip: To protect your eyes from damage, wear protective goggles when you work with harmful substances or around machinery. Tip: Wear sunglasses that provide UV protection. Tip: Have regular eye exams. They ca help you prevent of identify vision problems, eye diseases, and eye infections.

+ Detecting Vision Problems Optometrist: a professional trained to provide eye and vision care. There are 3 common vision problems which are nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism.

+ Detecting Vision Problems Nearsightedness: People can see nearby objects clearly, but not faraway objects. It is caused by an elongated eyeball. Farsightedness: People can see faraway objects clearly, but nearby objects appear blurry. Astigmatism: People who have distorted vision. Images do not focus correctly on the retina caused by an uneven curvature in the cornea lens.

+ Detecting Vision Problems Optometrists may also check for colorblindness and night blindness. Colorblindness: the inability to detect one or more colors. Occurs when a person is born with a deficiency in one or more sets of cones. This disorder is usually inherited.

+ Detecting Vision Problems Night blindness: is the inability to see well in dim light due to poorly functioning rods. This condition also can be inherited It can also be caused by a lack of vitamin A.

+ Treating Eye Diseases As a person ages, the eyes become susceptible to several diseases. Glaucoma: Age and certain diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, may slow the drainage of liquid form the eye. The result leads to a buildup of pressure in the eye. Glaucoma can damage the optic nerve and lead to sight problems. Glaucoma often develops so slowly that a person may have severe vision damage before it is detected. Regular eye exams can detect glaucoma before symptoms are noticed.

+ Treating Eye Diseases Cataracts The clouding of the eye’s lens. It is very common among older adults. Treatment involves surgical replacement of the clouded lens with an artificial lens. Wearing sunglasses with UV- ray protection and not smoking are two behaviors that may slow or prevent the development of cataracts.

+ Treating Eye Diseases Detached Retina Aging or an injury to the eye can cause the retina to separate form the lining of the eye. Surgery is the only effective treatment for a detached retina.

+ Treating Eye Diseases Macular Degeneration It is the leading cause of eyesight problems in older adults. It occurs when cells in the center of the retina break down. Treatment for macular degeneration is limited and often depends on the extent of the damage

+ Treating Eye Infections 2 Common eye infections are Sties and Conjunctivitis. Sty: is a painful swelling that occurs when an oil gland at the base of an eyelash becomes infected. Allergic reactions or infections related to colds can lead to conjunctivitis, an inflammation of the outside layer of the eye. The eye may ooze a yellowish fluid and become red and itchy. Sties and conjunctivitis can be treated with prescription medications

+ More Information Spending extended periods of time in front of a computer can lead to eyestrain. Although it does not cause permanent damage, it can be uncomfortable and distracting. EYE CARE TIPS Blink often when using a computer. (or any device) Look away from a computer or television (or iPad, Tablet, Phone, etc.) every 30 min for about 10 seconds Do not rub your eyes If you wear contact lenses, follow your doctor’s instructions. Eat foods rich in vitamin A such as carrots, red peppers, and cantaloupe. When outdoors, wear sunglasses that provide 100% UV-ray protection.