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Your Eyes.......We only have two of them so treat them well and learn how to keep them safe from harm. Here is a list of five vital ways to prevent injuries to one of your most precious assets, your vision.

1. Wear Safety Glasses. Failure to wear protective eye wear is one of the main causes of job related injuries to the eye according to OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration). Safety glasses are made from a polycarbonate material which can withstand the impact of a .22 caliber bullet. Safety glasses at work protect you from foreign bodies and chemical exposure into the eye area. Wearing protective eyewear for yard work, weed eating, and cutting wood keeps injury from high velocity foreign bodies in the eye to a minimum.
2. Wear Sunglasses with UV A and UV B protection. Doing so protects the thin skin around the eyes from sunburn, and also helps protect your ocular system. It has long been stated that excessive exposure to sunlight causes cataracts, so using ultraviolet (UV) protection in your sunglasses is vital. Many sunglasses, especially for children, do not contain UV filters. These can actually harm your eyes more, exposing more sunlight through a dilated pupil. Buyer beware: not all sun glasses are created equally.
3. Make sure children’s glasses are made of polycarbonate material and have UV protection. This ensures a minimum exposure of ultraviolet rays which will pay off when they are older by helping prevent cataracts. The polycarbonate lens material gives maximum protection against breakage.
4. Don’t obstruct vision with a child’s costume. During Halloween, opt for face paint instead of a mask that could occlude or obstruct vision. Also put reflector tape on the child’s costume. Bulky masks that accompany halloween costumes can be a deterrent to the child seeing out of the mask. During Halloween or a costume party, keep it fun be “seeing and being seen.”
5. Use the wisdom of preventative maintenance. Get yearly eye examinations where the entire retina is evaluated with a a dilated exam. Just as you change oil on your car every three thousand miles keeps it running in tip top shape, the same holds true for your ocular health. Routine check ups, sunglasses, vitamins, and smoking cessation will keep those peepers healthy and clear.

It is incumbent upon us all to be educated on these facts for ourselves, our family members, and our co workers.

Applying these pointers can be used to keep your eyes healthy, efficient, clear and safe.

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CHEERS to your ocular health.

Did you know that nutrition plays a vital role in your ocular health?

Cardiologists stress lean meats, red wine, and exercise for your heart health. But what about your eyes? Well, studies show there are distinct food groups that show extreme benefit to the well being of your vision.

Lutein, found in green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, and broccoli create an added insulation in your retina against macular degeneration. Yellow vegetables and fruit (squash, yellow watermelon) as well as Omega III supplements (fish oil or flax seed oil) also help boost the pigment cells in the macula to promote crisp vision. As a side note, it is best to purchase molecularly distilled fish oil, and take the pills at night to prevent unwanted GI effects or “fish burp” which occurs with less expensive, non distilled fish oils. Remember, not all fish oil pills are created equally.

What about preventing cataracts you ask? Well, studies have shown that vitamin C found in citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, grapefruit, and kiwi can slow down cataract formation. Cutting your UV exposure by wearing sunglasses with UV-A and UV-B protection will also help, as well as smoking cessation. You see, cataracts are a clouding of the natural lens of the eye that causes symptoms such as dim vision, glare at night, decreased focusing, and blurred vision.

Macular Degeneration is a condition of the retina in the back of the eye that causes symptoms of loosing the fine detail vision we have been used to, replacing it with a central scotomas or blind spots. Your central vision gets destroyed by this disease. Macular Degeneration is an inherited disease, as well as some cataract formations, so check your family history to see if you are at greater risk.

It behooves you to be aware of these conditions that affect millions of people worldwide, and do your best to incorporate preventative care such as good nutrition, regular check ups with your eye care practitioner, and preventing sun exposure as well as not smoking. Additionally, cooked food devalues the precious live enzymes, so these foods are best eaten raw.

Remember, you can play a vital role in your ocular health. After all, remember Hippocrates, the father of medicine, who said: "Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food".

And lastly if you don’t have time to eat all those fruits and vegetables in a day consider a fruit or vegetable smoothie and then drink to your good ocular health!

The content of this blog cannot be reproduced or duplicated without the express written consent of EYEiQ

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.