1. Get an eye exam. You may think you have excellent vision or that your eyes are healthy, but visiting your eye doctor for a comprehensive eye exam is the only way to be positive that your eyes are in good shape. Often times people don’t know that they could benefit from glasses or contacts. Also many common eye diseases have warning signs that can only be detected by an exam.

2. Know your family’s eye health history. Talk to your family members about their eye health. You need to know if anyone in your family has been diagnosed with a disease or condition since many eye diseases are hereditary. This information will help determine if you are at risk of getting an eye disease.

3. Eat right. Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, especially dark leafy greens, are great for keeping your eyes healthy. There are also eye health benefits from eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids.

4. Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight increases the risk of developing diabetes and other systemic conditions. This in turn can lead to vision loss.

6. Wear protective eyewear. Wear protective eyewear when playing sports or when your work potentially could damage your eyes. Protective eyewear include safety glasses and goggles, safety shields, and eye guards specially designed to provide the correct protection for a certain activity. When protective eyewear is required as a part of your job, make a habit of wearing the appropriate type at all times.

7. Quit smoking or never start. Research has linked smoking to an increased risk of macular degeneration, cataracts, and optic nerve damage, all of which can lead to blindness.

8. Wear Sunglasses. Sunglasses protect your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. UV rays can cause Cataracts and other eye diseases and conditions. Look for Sunglasses that say they block UV-A and B rays.

9. Rest your eyes. If you spend a lot of time at the computer or focusing on any one thing, you sometimes forget to blink and your eyes can get fatigued. Try the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look away about 20 feet in front of you for 20 seconds to reduce eye strain.

More info found at www.nei.nih.gov/healthyeyes/eyehealthtips.

Have you been in to our office lately to see our selection of Wiley X sunglasses?

Wiley X is featured in the new award winning film, "American Sniper," and we know why! 

Not only are they comfortable, stylish, and affordable but they are also a great Safety Glass option.

We love this brand so much that we even recommended it to many of our soldiers that left on deployment with the 222nd.  

The frames are available in a variety of styles and colors and we can tailor the lenses to any eye care need.

Come in and see why you will love Wiley X Sunglasses just as much as we do!  

Are you caring for your contacts properly? Here are some good tips to go over to ensure healthy contact wearing habits. 

• Always wash your hands prior to handling your contacts.
• Daily disposable contact lenses are designed to be worn once and then thrown away, you don’t have to worry about the hassle of cleaning or storing the lenses.  
• For soft contacts, find a  solution that conditions, cleans, removes protein, disinfects, rinses and stores soft contact lenses. We recommend Biotrue by Bausch + Lomb or Pure Moist by Alcon. 

• Never reuse solution.
• Replace your lens case every month.
• Never wear your contacts longer then your Dr. Prescribes. Lenses are designed for specific wearing times.Depending on what’s best for your eyes, your eye care professional may recommend a lens designed for daily replacement, a lens designed for two weeks of daily wear, or a lens designed for one month of daily wear.Regardless, it’s really important to follow the replacement schedule your eye doctor gave you – it tells you when you need new lenses. Following it will keep your eyes safe and comfortable – so make sure you stick to it.