Want to know how to take better care of your eyes and get the eyewear that works best for your needs? We’ve got you covered here with an essential list of eye care and eyewear tips and valuable resources.
Eye care tips
Reduce eye strain
If you work long hours at a computer you may experience negative effects such as eye strain, blurry vision, headaches, and more. Experts recommend the 20-20-20 rule. That is, every 20 minutes look-up from your work at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Also, take frequent breaks.
Wear sunglasses
Exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays increases your chances of cataracts and macular degeneration. Get sunglasses that block 100% of UVA and UVB rays. They’ll protect you from retinal damage while also protecting your delicate eyelid skin.
Learn more: Selecting Shades: Your Guide to Choosing Sunglasses
Wear protective eyewear
Millions of eye injuries occur in the U.S. each year. If your work calls for using hazardous or airborne materials, you need to wear safety glasses or protective goggles. Also, wear proper eye protection to avoid the risks that come with home repair projects, factory work, sports, and even gardening and cleaning.
Nourish your eyes
A proper diet is all-important for good eye health. You need nutrients including omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zinc, and vitamin C and E to combat age-related vision problems. Fill your plate with green leafy vegetables; salmon, tuna, and other oily fish; citrus fruits, oysters, and pork and nonmeat protein sources.
Learn more: Shop for vitamins to maintain healthy vision
Exercise
Exercise can help prevent diseases that may lead to vision problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
Don’t smoke
Smoking is known to cause age-related macular degeneration and increase the risk of developing cataracts.
Combat dry eye issues
Dry eye—or ocular surface disease—is a common disorder that occurs as a result of not producing enough tears or the right quality of tears. The disease is common among post-menopausal women.
While there are numerous ways to minimize dry eyes, artificial tears may be your best bet and they’re available without a prescription.
Learn more:
Shop for dry eye relief products
Clean your eyelids
Eyelid scrubs remove bacteria, oils, and pollen that can accumulate at the root of the eyelashes to soothe irritated eyelids and treat some eye conditions. Some include ingredients such as tea tree oil to kill eyelash mites, which (believe it or not) can live in your eyelashes.
Learn more: Shop for eyelid cleaners
Visit the eye doctor
You, and everyone in your family, should get eye exams regularly. In addition to testing your vision, your optometrist or ophthalmologist will perform various tests to diagnose your eye health in an effort to spot potential eye diseases early and treat them, if necessary.
Eyewear tips
Understand your lens options
When ordering eyeglasses, you’ll need to make numerous decisions regarding your lenses, which are likely to include lens materials, coatings, and tints.
Learn more: Types of Lenses for Glasses: The Essential Guide to Prescription Lenses
Consider anti-reflective coating
Although upgrading your lenses to include anti-reflective (AR) coating is not free, it’s well worth considering. You’ll undoubtedly enjoy the many benefits AR coatings deliver.
Learn more: Understanding Your Anti-Reflective Coating Options
Get the look you want
Of course, selecting eyeglass frames is a highly personal and subjective decision. However, opticians offer advice about why you may want to consider the prescription you require, your face shape, skin tones, eye color, and more.
Learn more: Choosing Eyeglass Frames—A Guide to Selecting The Perfect Glasses
Learn how to fit your frames
You’ll enjoy a larger selection of eyeglasses frames when you shop online, but to get your order right, you’ll want to know the nuances of fitting eyeglasses. Frames vary by lens width, bridge width, and temple length. It’s not complicated but worthwhile to understand.
Learn more: Fitting Eyeglasses: A Guide to the Numbers on Your Frames
Consider Transitions lenses
Transition lenses, which are now available for both eyeglasses and contact lenses, deliver the benefits of sunglasses when you’re outdoors. They darken and provide the protection from the sun you need to maintain healthy vision. If you need to wear prescription eyewear and like the idea of not having to own an additional pair of prescription sunglasses, you’ll want to consider this type of lens.
Learn more: Transitions Signature Gen 8: What’s New in Photochromic Lenses?
Understand your options for contact lenses
A large and growing percentage of contact lens buyers now order online. Your prescription should provide you all you need to get the order correct, however, there is now an array of options, which you’ll want to understand and discuss with your eye doctor.
Learn more: Getting Contact Lenses for the First Time: 5 Considerations
Use an online vision test to renew your prescription
For obvious reasons, at the moment, you may want to refrain from visiting your optometrist if you possibly can. Did you know people age 18 to 55 can take a fast and easy online vision test for the purpose of re-ordering prescription eyewear?
Learn more: Can You Get a Vision Test Online?
Take good care of your eyewear
Taking good care of your glasses and contact lenses will help maintain your eye health, and possibly, save you some money. Learn how to clean and care for your glasses and contact lenses.
Learn more: Eyewear Care: A Guide to Caring for Your Eyeglasses and Contact Lenses
Have a set of backup glasses
Eyeglasses and contact lenses get lost and broken. It’s wise to have backup glasses available—and it need not be expensive.
Learn more: Backup Glasses: Stay Ready with Ultra-Affordable Options
Use your vision benefits and spending accounts
Take a close look at your vision care benefits and understand how to apply them to the eyewear purchases you make online or in-store. If you have a Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA), feel free to use it to buy prescription eyewear. Also, heed your deadlines so your investments in the accounts don’t go to waste.
Learn more: Can you use your vision benefits to purchase eyewear online?
Buy from trusted sources
As is the case with most e-commerce categories, you’re bound to find both legitimate and illegitimate sellers. Remember as much when buying eyewear of any kind—contacts, eyeglasses, and sunglasses. An authentic seller of popular eyewear brands will offer authenticity guarantees, have consistently high customer reviews, and deliver products with the appropriate documentation.
