Healthy Vision Month: Make Your Vision Last a Lifetime!

Each year, we celebrate Healthy Vision Month in May, and it offers a great opportunity to learn about eye health and to make sure you and your family recognize the importance of regular comprehensive eye exams as a way to maintain overall eye health.
 

One of the goals of Healthy Vision Month is to encourage people of all ages to take proactive measures to protect their vision and address potential vision problems early, before they can become big issues affecting your eyesight permanently. It’s easy to take our vision for granted, but vision is arguably the most important of the five senses, and any type of vision loss can significantly impact your quality of life.
 

Most importantly during this month is to build awareness about the importance of regular eye exams. Regular eye exams can help detect and treat vision problems before they even show symptoms, so they can be tracked and treated early on, with much less impact to your overall eye health later on. NEI recommends that adults get a comprehensive eye exam at least once every two years, and more frequently if they have certain risk factors, such as a family history of eye disease, diabetes, or high blood pressure. Children should also have their eyes checked regularly to ensure that their vision is developing normally.
 

This month is also a great time educate people about common eye conditions, their symptoms, and treatment. Many vision problems, such as cataracts, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration, develop slowly over time and may not have noticeable symptoms until they have already caused significant damage. By educating yourself and others about these conditions and their symptoms, people can be more proactive about seeking treatment if they experience any changes in their vision. 

 

 

Additionally, Healthy Vision Month is also an opportunity to promote habits that can help protect one's eyesight. For example, wearing sunglasses with UV protection can help prevent damage from harmful UV rays, which can increase the risk of cataracts and other eye problems. Eating a healthy diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables can also help protect against vision loss. Regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and quitting smoking can also help protect vision and overall health.

 

 

Finally, make sure to share resources that can help others access eye care services and information about vision health. The National Institutes of Health offers a variety of resources for patients and healthcare providers, including information about eye diseases and conditions, tips for maintaining healthy vision, and resources for finding eye care providers.
 

Maintaining healthy vision not only benefits your vision, but your overall health. By scheduling regular eye exams in addition to physical exams, your healthcare providers can work together to make your vision last a lifetime! Call us today to schedule your annual exam!