Campus News

Ten tips to keep eyes healthy

In conjunction with Eye Health Month, Angela Ellerman, an optometrist at the UGA Vision Clinic, offers these eye-care tips:

  1. Don’t wait until there’s a problem to see the optometrist. Many eye diseases affect vision later in their development. 
  2. Routine eye evaluations are recommended every two years. Contact lens wearers and people older than 50 need yearly exams. 
  3. Only sleep in contacts if directed to do so by a doctor. Overnight wear can lead to infections.
  4. Do follow the rules with contact lenses. Follow cleaning procedures and replacement schedules as advised by a doctor. 
  5. Don’t wear contacts longer than recommended. If the contacts are good for a month, then at the end of the month, throw them away. 
  6. Wear sunglasses while outdoors to protect against UV exposure. 
  7. Wear eye protection when participating in a sport where something could become lodged in the eye. Eye injury is the largest cause of blindness in young people.
  8. Keep a spare set of spectacles in case you’re unable to wear contacts or break the primary pair. 
  9. Take vision breaks every 20 minutes while reading or staring at a computer screen for hours.
  10. Use nonmedicated tear drops to soothe burning eyes.