6 Ultimate Care Tips for Healthy Eyes

6 Ultimate Care Tips for Healthy Eyes

Published by Lance Kugler, MD on July 13, 2016

At Kugler Vision in Omaha, NE, our doctors and staff are dedicated to providing all our patients with clear vision using the most advanced technology and treatment options available. We are also passionate about spreading the knowledge they need to keep their eyes healthy! Regardless of your stage in life, maintaining healthy eyes will always lead to a higher quality of life. Find out how you can help keep your eyes healthy by reading the six helpful tips below!

1. Have Regular Eye Exams

One of the best ways to protect your vision is to have a routine eye exam. A survey by the American Optometric Association (AOA) found that 85 percent of people valued their sight as their most prized sense– but less than half of that group had had an eye exam in the past two or three years! We believe that the importance of regular eye exams hasn’t been fully recognized by many because they focus on prescription changes and forget about the value of preventative care. That can be a big mistake! It is ideal for everyone to have regular exams as a way to prevent or detect early age related ocular conditions such as macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma. Even after vision correction, like LASIK, your eyes require regular exams for preventive care reasons. If as you read this you realize you haven’t had an eye exam in a while, be sure to contact us!

2. Give Your Eyes a Break

If you work in front of a computer screen all day, make sure to use the 20-20-20 rule daily to let your eyes rest. Haven’t heard of the 20-20-20 rule? It’s simple! Every 20 minutes look 20 feet away or more for 20 seconds. This simple trick helps break the eyes’ constant strain of focusing from doing close up work and helps prevent computer vision syndrome. Also, practice mindful blinking! When we concentrate on reading on the computer, we blink about half as many times as we do when we aren’t concentrating. Blinking produces fresh tears to the corneal surface that helps our eyes stay moist and free of irritants. So when you notice you haven’t blinked much lately, take two or three deliberate blinks to lubricate and protect your eyes.

3. Protect Your Eyes Like You Protect Your Skin

We’ve all heard of the importance of applying sunscreen to protect our skin against the sun’s harmful UV rays. We should also remember that those same UV rays can damage our eyes! UV ray exposure contributes to cataracts and macular degeneration. Luckily the answer to this problem is as stylish as it is easy– wear sunglasses! It’s important that you select sunglasses with 100 percent UVA and UVB protection, and wear them consistently when outside or driving during the day. This tip isn’t just for adults! t’s crucial to protect not only your eyes, but your child’s eyes as well with sunglasses.

4. Eat Right to Protect Your Sight

Nutrition and general health go hand-in-hand. It’s important to be aware of how your nutrition actually affects you and your eyesight. Read our blog archive to learn more about how to improve your eye health through nutrition!

5. Safety First

Wear protective eyewear! Eye injuries may seem rare, but in actuality they are one of the leading causes of vision loss. Whether you are playing sports, working in hazardous conditions, or doing maintenance around the home like yard work or indoor repairs, it is crucial to wear protective eyewear. Protective eyewear includes safety glasses and goggles, safety shields, and eye guards. All protective eyewear is specifically designed to provide protection to our eyes. In fact, the majority of protective eyewear lenses are ten times stronger than other plastics. If your employer requires protective eyewear, be sure to make a habit of wearing the appropriate and recommended type when working and encourage others to do the same.

6. Speak Up

If you are experiencing eye irritation from allergies, inflammation, infections, or injury, please don’t assume that the problem will just go away on it’s own. It’s always best to get it checked! Please contact us and describe your unusual visual symptoms because they may require treatment. We are always happy to help assist you in your vision needs!

Lance Kugler, MD

Lance Kugler, MD, is a specialist in LASIK and vision correction surgery and CEO of Kugler Vision. A proud Omaha native, he is passionate about improving lives through clear vision. Dr. Kugler serves on several national boards, and his practice is recognized internationally as a center of excellence. Dr. Kugler is one of the original founders of the Refractive Surgery Alliance, an international organization comprised of over 350 of the world’s leading vision correction surgeons; he also served as its first president. In 2019, Dr. Kugler was selected as a TEDx speaker, and delivered a talk in Omaha about the worldwide epidemic of nearsightedness and refractive solutions. Dr. Kugler is an Associate Professor of Refractive Surgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Truhlsen Eye Institute, has been published in many medical journals, and participates in numerous clinical studies to advance the field of vision correction surgery. Additionally, Dr. Kugler is proud to be a Board Certified Fellow of the World College of Refractive Surgery & Visual Sciences. Dr. Kugler and his wife are proud parents to five active kids. When he has a spare moment, he enjoys skiing, tennis, travel, and fine coffee.