Follow These Five Tips For A Healthy Aging Eye (NAPSA)—Manypeople don’t pay attention to their health until something goes wrong. EyeCare America, a national nonprofit organization that provides eye exams and eye health information to medically underserved communities, wants to provide older Americans with five tips for a healthy aging eye. By following these simple tips, seniors can take the lead and be more proactive in the care of their vision. 5 Tips for a Healthy Aging Eye: 1. Vitamin A is great for your eyes and will help you maintain healthy vision. Foods rich in vitamin A include carrots, yams and dark leafy greens. 2. Find out your family history of eye disease. In many cases, having a family member with an eye disease, such as glaucoma, greatly increases your chance of getting the disease. 3. Protect your eyes from the sun. Overexposure to the sun’s rays can lead to cataracts. Your sunglasses should have UVA and UVB protection. 4. If you are over 65 years of age, have your eyes examined annually. 5. Call EyeCare America’s Seniors EyeCare Program to see if you qualify for a free eye exam. EyeCare America encourages people to call the EyeCare America Seniors EyeCare Program. This program offers eye exams and up to one year of medical care at no outof-pocket cost for seniors who are without an ophthalmologist (a medical eye doctor). To see if you, a loved one or a friend, 65 and older, is eligible to receive a referral for an eye exam and care, call (800) 222-EYES(3937). The Seniors EyeCare Program help line operates 24 hours a day, every day, year-round. Operators speak English only. If you’re over 65 years old, have your eyes examined every year. EyeCare America’s Seniors EyeCare Program is designed for people who: Are U.S. citizens or legal residents e Are age 65 andolder e Have not seen an ophthalmologist in three or more years Do not belong to an HMO or the VA. To supplement its award-winning referral program, EyeCare America has recently created a new Website specifically designed to assist online users in learning more about vision-limiting diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration. The site, eyecareamerica.org, contains up-to-date clinical information about eye diseases that is reviewed by certified ophthalmologists, with links to current treatments andeven an interactive tour of the eye’s anatomy. Visitors can share important health topics with family and friends through a convenient e-mail forward function and order free pamphlets that give in-depth information on treatment, tests/diagnosis, and causes and risk factors for a wide variety of common eye diseases. For more information on Eye- Care America and the Seniors EyeCare Program, visit www.eye careamerica.org.
