Protecting your eyes is one of the most important things you can do for your overall health. Maintaining your vision throughout your life and into your senior years involves regular eye care, early treatment for diseases, and protection from injury. Here's a closer look at these crucial steps for protecting your eye health.

Regular Eye Examinations

Eye examinations are more than just making sure you have the right prescription for your glasses. You should have periodic eye examinations even if you don't wear glasses so the eye doctor can monitor your eyes for the development of diseases such as glaucoma or macular degeneration. Some eye conditions slowly rob you of your sight without causing other symptoms. The only way to catch problems early is through an eye examination.

Treatment Of Medical Conditions

Another important way to protect your vision is to keep other medical conditions under control. Diabetes, for example, causes changes to your eyes that lead to vision loss if you don't keep your blood sugar within the normal range. Cardiovascular disease and even thyroid problems can affect your vision, so seeking proper medical treatment for any diseases you develop during your life will help keep your eyes healthy too.

Wearing Eye Protection

Accidents happen when you least expect it, so always wear eye protection when there is a possibility of eye injury when you're at work or at home. Buy protective goggles and wear them when you mow, work with tools, or handle chemicals around the house. Also, use protective eyewear when you play sports and when they're required for your job. If you work around dangerous chemicals, be sure you know about emergency eye care for accidental splashes so you can react quickly.

Other ways to protect your eyes include caring for your contact lenses properly, wearing sunglasses to protect your eyes from damaging UV rays, and being careful not to rub your eyes with dirty hands that could spread bacteria to your eyes. Eye protection also includes protecting your eyes from the strain of working for long hours at a computer or long exposure to glare. Talk to your eye doctor about glasses and practices that help relieve strain and protect your vision.

While regular visits to an eye doctor like Absolute Vision Care are important, you should also make an emergency call when you notice any changes in your vision, especially if the changes are sudden. Sometimes, early treatment for an eye injury or medical problem with your eye could mean the difference between successful treatment and a permanent loss of vision.