Pa CqniGin Five Tips to Spring-Clean Your Eye Health (NAPS)—Spring is an annual re- minder of new beginnings. With new life and fresh bloomsall around, it also serves as a reminderto spring-clean ouroverall health, which also includes the eyes. Amongolder people, vision loss—or even worse, blindness—can have a neg- ative impact on our quality oflife, limiting the ability to do things we enjoy such as reading, driving, or seeing our grandchildren. ‘The good newsis, manysight-stealing conditions can be prevented or slowed down with proper care. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends these five tips to springclean youreye health: 1. Schedule an eye exam by an oph- thalmologist. A medical doctor who specializes in medical and surgical eye care. 2. Pay attention to what you eat. Include plenty of citrus fruits, vegeta- ble oils, nuts, whole grains, dark green leafy vegetables and cold water fish in your diet. Healthy body equals healthy eyes. 3. Exercise regularly. Not only does it help your heart and energylevels, many studies have shown that getting regular exercise can benefit youreyes. 4. Wear sunglasses. Sunglasses pro- To protect your sight, it’s smart to see an eye care professional. For some people, the exam can befree. EyeCare America serves UScitizens or legal residents who do not belong to an HMO. To be eligible for the Seniors program Must be age 65 orolder, and Last eye exam by an ophthalmologist mustbe 3 or more years tect your eyes from cataracts and even eye cancers. Be sure to wear sunglasses with 100 percent UV protection, and a hat while outdoors. 5. Don’t smoke. Smoking increases the risk for eye diseaseslike cataract and age-related macular degeneration and raises the risks for heart diseases that indirectly influence eye health. Tobacco To be eligible for the Glaucoma program also worsensdryeye. For those concerned aboutthe cost ica. “Most people wait until they notice smoke, including second-hand smoke, of an exam, the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s EyeCare America program may be able to help. Nearly 6,000 dedicated volunteer ophthalmol- ogists provide eye exams andcare, often at no out-of-pocket cost to eligible patients. Since 1985, the program has helped more than 1.8 million people in need. Must be 1 year since the patient’s last eye exam, and Determinedto be at increased glaucomarisk by age, race, and family history. “Vision loss is also associated with a higherprevalence of chronic health conditions, falls, injuries, depression and social isolation,’ said Charles P. Wilkinson, M.D., chairman of EyeCare Amer- changes in vision loss, so it’s important to maintain healthy eyes before signs and symptomsbegin to show themselves.” Spring clean your eye health by scheduling an eye exam today. For more information about EyeCare America, visit www.aao.org/eyecareamerica. EyeCare America is co-sponsored by the Knights Templar Eye FoundationInc., with additional support provided by Alcon.
