Maintaining the health of your eyes is important to your overall health, and getting regular checkups at the optometrist can help prevent common eye disorders. Each human eye weighs only a quarter of an ounce, and this small body part is the key to how we perceive the world. If you want to keep your eyes healthy and prevent disorders of the eye, you should find an optometrist and visit them regularly. If you find out you have an eye sickness, there are many treatments that you can discuss with your doctor to make sure you can preserve your eyesight. If you’re wondering how to get started with some tips for eye health, here are a few things everyone should know about protecting their vision.

1. Go to the optometrist
The first step in keeping your eyes healthy is visiting the eye doctor. People ages 20 to 40 should have an eye exam once every five years, and if you’re older you should visit the doctor more often to have frequent checks of your vision.

2. Know your risk factors
People with diabetes are at a higher risk for diseases like glaucoma, cataracts, and other disorders of they eye. Eye doctors recommend that people with diabetes have yearly eye exams, so understand your risk factors and adjust your doctor’s visits accordingly.

3. Replace your contact lenses often
You should ask your eye doctor exactly how often you need to replace your lenses. Wearing contacts for too long when they’re worn out is unhealthy for your eyes and can cause infection, so it’s best to change them as often as your doctor advises you to do so.

4. Stay hydrated
Just like the rest of your body, your eyes need to be hydrated to work correctly. Dry eyes can be uncomfortable and can cause vision problems, so drink enough water to avoid these undesirable issues.

5. Filter the air in your environment
The air in your home or office contains dust and small particles that get can into your eyes and irritate them. The best way to reduce this risk is by getting an air filter to purify the air. You will notice a difference when you’re not getting dust in your eyes anymore.

6. Wash your hands
This is important for your overall health as well as your eye health. Avoid touching your eyes as much as your can, but it’s not always possible to prevent it completely. When you need to do this, make sure your hands are clean so you don’t cause any more damage by getting dirt or germs in your eyes.

7. Take a break from the computer screen
Lots of jobs require staring at the computer for long hours, and this can be damaging to your eyesight. A good way to ensure you’re not spending too much time at the computer is by taking a 10 minute break every hour and walking around. This gives your eyes a chance to adjust from viewing your screen at a close range for an extended period of time.

8. Wear sunglasses
You protect your skin from the sun by wearing sunscreen, and your eyes are just as sensitive and need protection too.

Do you have any tips on how to find the best eye doctor in your area? If you have any advice for keeping your eyes healthy and preserving your vision for life, please share your thoughts in a comment below. Read more about this topic at this link.