How Can You Participate During Healthy Vision Month?

Posted by: Eye Health Northwest in General Eye Health on May 12, 2022

To protect your heart, you eat right and exercise. But what are you doing to protect your eyes? 

May is Healthy Vision Month, an excellent reason to learn about how you can reduce or prevent your chance of developing a serious eye condition or chronic disease. Keep reading to learn how you can participate during healthy vision month!

1. Get a Comprehensive Dilated Eye Exam

You might feel it’s inconvenient, but dilation is an essential part of a routine eye exam. The drops dilate your pupils, allowing more light to enter the eye. 

Dilation gives your eye doctor the best possible look inside your eye to check for common eye conditions that they cannot otherwise diagnose. Like every other part of the body, early diagnosis of eye problems can prevent damage and loss of function or vision later on. 

2. Tell Your Eye Doctor About Any Vision Problems in Your Family History

Some conditions are hereditary. Regular eye exams and monitoring of symptoms are essential for everyone. 

It’s particularly critical for those with a family history of conditions like macular degeneration and glaucoma.

3. Feed Your Eyes to Preserve Your Sight 

What you eat impacts your eye health. Focus on consuming dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, chard, and collard greens.

It’s also good to eat oily fish high in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon, albacore tuna, trout, halibut, mackerel, and sardines. All have nutrients that benefit eye health.

When you include these foods regularly in your meals, you add powerful nutrition to reduce the risk of long-term eye disease. 

4. Choose Sunglasses That Block Ultraviolet Radiation 

Look for those that block 99% to 100% of UVA and UVB rays. If you see a label that says UV 400, choose those.

Damage from UV radiation is cumulative and builds up over a lifetime. Everyone, from young children to older adults, should wear sunglasses outdoors, even on cloudy days. 

5. Wear Protective Eyewear Whenever Possible

This applies to sports activities as well as doing chores around your home, like painting and yard work. Protective eyewear prevents debris and airborne particles from entering your eye and can prevent or reduce damage if irritants end up in your eye.

6. Practice Workplace Eye Safety 

This includes eyewear designed for your particular job or industry and any precautions you should take to minimize exposure to substances that can harm your eyes. If your workplace has them, know where your nearest eyewash station is in case you have to act quickly to rinse your eyes or help a coworker do the same.

7. Handle Your Contacts With Care 

It’s also important to wash your hands before touching your eyes or inserting or removing your contacts. Clean them properly as per instructions, and don’t sleep in them. 

All three go a long way in preventing eye infections.

8. Don’t Smoke 

Smoking increases the risk of age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and dry eye syndrome.

9. Keep Your Weight Within a Healthy Range

The link between excess weight and sight may not seem obvious. However, obesity has been linked with age-related cataracts, glaucoma, age-related maculopathy, and diabetic retinopathy.

Are you interested in learning more ways that you can keep your eyes healthy? Schedule an appointment at EyeHealth Northwest in Hillsboro, OR, today!


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Our Locations

Aloha
18345 SW Alexander St,
Suite A
Aloha, OR 97003
(503) 642-2505 see more
Glisan
6701 NE Glisan Street
Portland, OR 97213
(503) 255-2291 see more
Gresham
24601 SE Stark St.
Suite 245
Troutdale, OR 97060
(503) 255-2291 see more
Hillsboro
6111 NE Cornell Rd
Hillsboro, OR 97124
(503) 846-9400 see more
Lake Oswego
9 Monroe Parkway, Suite 160
Lake Oswego, OR 97035
(503) 636-2551 see more
Milwaukie
11086 SE Oak St
Milwaukie, OR 97222
(503) 656-4221 see more
Mt. Tabor
5935 SE Division St.
Portland, OR 97206
503 777-5546 see more
Newberg
2318 Portland Rd, Suite 300
Newberg, OR 97132
(503) 538-1341 see more
North Portland
3246 N. Lombard St.
Portland, OR 97217
(503) 285-1671 see more
Northwest Portland
1955 NW Northrup St
Portland, OR 97209
(503) 227-2020 see more
Oregon City
1306 Division St
Oregon City, OR 97045
(503) 656-4221 see more
Peterkort
9555 SW Barnes Rd.
#100 (1rst floor)
Portland, OR 97225
(503) 227-2020 see more
Providence Portland
5050 NE Hoyt St., Suite 445
Portland, OR 97213
(503) 231-0166 see more
Providence St. Vincent
9135 SW Barnes Rd., Suite 961
Portland, OR 97225
(503) 292-0848 see more
Southeast Portland
10819 SE Stark St,
Portland, OR 97216
(503) 255-2291 see more
Sunnyside
12050 SE Stevens Rd, Suite 100
Happy Valley, OR 97086
(503) 783-3300 see more
Tigard
15298 SW Royalty Parkway
Tigard OR 97224
(503) 227-2020 see more
Wilsonville
29250 SW Town Center Loop W
Wilsonville, OR 97070
(503) 582-0000 see more
Westside Surgery Center
13240 SW Pacific Hwy
Portland, OR 97223
(503) 639-6571 see more
EyeHealth Eastside Surgery and Laser Center
12050 SE Stevens Rd.
Happy Valley, OR 97086
(971) 206-6100 see more

Our Locations

Aloha
18345 SW Alexander St,
Suite A
Aloha, OR 97003
(503) 642-2505 see more
Glisan
6701 NE Glisan Street
Portland, OR 97213
(503) 255-2291 see more
Gresham
24601 SE Stark St.
Suite 245
Troutdale, OR 97060
(503) 255-2291 see more
Hillsboro
6111 NE Cornell Rd
Hillsboro, OR 97124
(503) 846-9400 see more
Lake Oswego
9 Monroe Parkway, Suite 160
Lake Oswego, OR 97035
(503) 636-2551 see more
Milwaukie
11086 SE Oak St
Milwaukie, OR 97222
(503) 656-4221 see more
Mt. Tabor
5935 SE Division St.
Portland, OR 97206
503 777-5546 see more
Newberg
2318 Portland Rd, Suite 300
Newberg, OR 97132
(503) 538-1341 see more
North Portland
3246 N. Lombard St.
Portland, OR 97217
(503) 285-1671 see more
Northwest Portland
1955 NW Northrup St
Portland, OR 97209
(503) 227-2020 see more
Oregon City
1306 Division St
Oregon City, OR 97045
(503) 656-4221 see more
Peterkort
9555 SW Barnes Rd.
#100 (1rst floor)
Portland, OR 97225
(503) 227-2020 see more
Providence Portland
5050 NE Hoyt St., Suite 445
Portland, OR 97213
(503) 231-0166 see more
Providence St. Vincent
9135 SW Barnes Rd., Suite 961
Portland, OR 97225
(503) 292-0848 see more
Southeast Portland
10819 SE Stark St,
Portland, OR 97216
(503) 255-2291 see more
Sunnyside
12050 SE Stevens Rd, Suite 100
Happy Valley, OR 97086
(503) 783-3300 see more
Tigard
15298 SW Royalty Parkway
Tigard OR 97224
(503) 227-2020 see more
Wilsonville
29250 SW Town Center Loop W
Wilsonville, OR 97070
(503) 582-0000 see more
Surgery Centers

Westside Surgery Center

13240 SW Pacific Hwy
Portland, OR 97223
(503) 639-6571 see more

EyeHealth Eastside Surgery and Laser Center

12050 SE Stevens Rd.
Happy Valley, OR 97086
(971) 206-6100 see more