July is the month that we “focus” on eye health. Our sight is one of our most precious and important senses. It provides a constant stream of information that allows us to interact with our environment. When talking about sight, there are two processes at work. The first is the act of seeing – the physical function of processing light with our eyes. Then, vision is when the brain processes what the eyes see. For any of this to happen we need healthy eyes! 

Here are some common eyesight and vision problems: 

Eyesight

• Nearsightedness (myopia)           
• Farsightedness (hyperopia)

Vision 

• Lazy eye (amblyopia) 
• Eye strain or eye fatigue 

We can do lot to make sure our eyes are healthy.  

• The sun’s UV radiation can damage our eyes so it’s fitting that July is also UV radiation safety month. The best prevention is to wear sunglasses when out in the sun.  
• Another way to help our eyes stay healthy is a good diet with lots of vegetables:  
  • Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, and collards which contain plant forms of vitamin A and others like broccoli and Brussel sprouts.  
  • The vitamin C in raw red bell peppers helps with blood vessel health and ay reduce your chances of getting cataracts.  
  • Sunflower seeds and almonds have a good amount of vitamin E which can help slow macular degeneration.  
  • Salmon is good for our eyes because of two types of omega-3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA. The omega-3s seem to protect our eyes from age related macular degeneration, AMD, and cataracts. 
• Our general health is important to our eye health too. Healthy lifestyles can decrease the likelihood of chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and vascular disease which can affect our eyes. If you have those conditions, following the medical advice and treatment recommended can prevent the condition from getting worse. 

For more detailed information about eye health, visit American Academy of Ophthalmology’s website: https://www.aao.org/eye-health