How to Better Your Eye Health for the New Year

January is often a time when people reflect and make goals to practice healthier habits for the new year. This is a great opportunity to maintain or incorporate routines that can promote your eye health for years to come. Here are 6 eye-healthy resolutions you can consider adding to your list this year.

1. Schedule An Eye Exam
   Receiving a comprehensive eye exam once a year is one of the easiest steps you can take to maintain your eye health. During your exam, your optometrist will not only be able to manage possible changes to your vision but can also detect and treat serious eye conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration, that you may not even realize are there, as they can have little to no noticeable symptoms during their early stages.


2. Be Screen Smart
   Prolonged exposure to digital devices can cause eye strain symptoms such as eye discomfort, headaches, and blurred vision. This year take steps to reduce these symptoms by taking regular breaks using the 20-20-20 method, adjusting your monitor brightness and text size, or investing in blue-light blocking lenses.
   • Every 20 minutes
   • Look at something 20 feet away
   • For 20 seconds


3. Revamp Your Makeup
   Expired makeup can flake, clump, and harbor dangerous bacteria that can increase your risk of developing an eye injury or infection. Inspect your makeup products for a small image of an open jar containing a number followed by the letter “M”. This symbol is known as the Period After Opening (POA) date and indicates the number of months that product is safe to use after you have opened it. Once your makeup has surpassed its POA date, you should stop using it immediately and throw it away.


4. Revaluate Your Eyewear
   The new year is a perfect time to evaluate your current visual needs and determine if your eyewear is meeting them. Here are a few ways you can refresh your eyewear for the new year:
   
   Look at your lenses:
   Consult your optometrist yearly to ensure your lenses include the best prescription for your visual needs. Additionally, consider your current daily habits. Think about if or how your habits have changed and determine if your current lenses still optimize your vision for those activities.
   
   Spruce up your frames:
   Your frames are an easy way to switch up your style. Try experimenting with different shapes, colors, and patterns to get a fun new look.
   
   Consider contacts:
   Contact lenses offer unique vision solutions for occasions when wearing your eyeglasses may not be ideal such as during sporting events, during bad weather, or just when you want to go for a different look. Your optometrist can help you decide which contacts are right for you and even allow you to try them out before you order a regular supply.


5. Quit Smoking or Don’t Start
   Smoking is a dangerous habit that can increase your risk of developing sight-threatening conditions. If you have never smoked, don’t start. If you are currently a smoker, it is never too late to take that first step towards a smoke-free life. Organizations such as the American Cancer Society have many great resources available that can aid you in your plan to quit smoking.


6. Wear UV Protection Year-Round
   Harmful UV rays can pose a danger to your eyes no matter the season. Prolonged exposure to the sun’s UV radiation can burn the surface of your eyes and increase your risk of developing eye diseases such as eye cancer and macular degeneration later in life. To combat these risks, be sure to wear your sunglasses year-round, even on those cloudy days, or include UV protection in your clear everyday lenses.