Page 16 - Florida Sentinel 1-31-20

Health
Are You Overlooking Your Eyes?
They're easy to take for granted, but your vision is too important for that. It might be time to take a closer look at your eye-care routines to see if you’re doing more harm than good.
You Forget to Wear Sunglasses
Your "shades" protect your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. Those rays can make you more likely to have cataracts or macular degeneration. Look for sunglasses that block out at least 99% of both UVA and UVB rays.
You Spend Too Much Time on Screens
Getting up close and personal with your computer, tablet, or even your smartphone works your eye muscles. Long periods of screen time can make your eyes tired and cause headaches.
You Don’t Get Eye Injuries Checked Out
Even if it doesn’t seem like a big deal, see your eye doctor as soon as possible if anything hap- pens to your eyes. It’s especially important if you:
– Have trouble seeing
– Can’t open your eye
– See blood in the white of
your eye
– Can’t move one eye as well
as the other
– Notice that one pupil is
larger or shaped differently than the other
You Ignore Irritated Eyes
Red, watery eyes that itch or burn can be a telltale sign of aller- gies. But you may have an infec- tion if they also:
– Hurt
– Feel gritty
– Are sensitive to light
– Have a thick or mucus-like
discharge
It’s important to see your eye
doctor right away if you notice any of those symptoms. An un- treated infection can damage your eyes. You can spread it to people around you, too.
You Don’t Get Annual Eye Exams
It’s a good idea to see your eye doctor each year to make sure all is well, especially once you’re over 40. They’ll check how well you can see, and they might put drops in your eyes to dilate, or widen, your pupils to help them to check for serious issues like glaucoma, dia- betic eye disease, or macular de- generation.
How often you’ll get the drops depends on things like your:
– Age
– Overall health
– Family medical history
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