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SAVE YOUR VISION: Six tips on how to protect your sight

  1. Get a regular comprehensive eye exam at Lighthouse Guild. A key part of the test is when your eye doctor conducts a dilated eye exam. This exam can detect eye diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic eye disease and age-related macular degeneration in their early stages.
  2. Follow your eye doctor’s instructions. If your doctor prescribes eye drops, use them as directed. Not following your treatment plan can lead to vision loss. Follow your doctor’s instructions on how to take care of contact lenses. Typical guidelines include a reminder to wash your hands before handling contact lenses, and to use fresh solution to clean and store them.
  3. The recommended way to purchase prescription eyeglasses is from a licensed provider, not online. Eyeglasses must meet precise prescriptive needs as determined by your eye doctor. The American Optometric Association warns that online orders may result in incorrect prescriptions.
  4. Protect your eyes against the sun’s effects, even in the winter months, by wearing large, wraparound sunglasses and a brimmed hat to protect against harmful UVA and UVB rays. Long-term ultraviolet (UV) exposure can damage your cornea and cause cataracts, macular degeneration and eye cancer. Polarized sunglasses reduces glare but they don’t necessarily offer UV protection.
  5. Wear proper eye protection when working, gardening, making repairs, in the kitchen, cleaning and playing sports. An estimated 2.5 million eye injuries occur in the U.S. each year. Protect your eyes with the right eyewear to prevent those injuries: Proper eye protection includes safety glasses, goggles, safety shields and eye guards made of polycarbonate, which is 10 times stronger than other plastics.
  6. Give your eyes a rest from the effects of digital eye strain. Though this type of eye strain—also known as computer vision syndrome—doesn’t permanently damage eyesight, symptoms could include burning or tired eyes, headaches, fatigue, loss of focus, blurred vision, double vision or head and neck pain. To rest your eyes, take these simple steps:
  • Follow the 20-20-20 rule: Look up from your work every 20 minutes, focus on an object 20 feet away, for 20
  • If glare from the screen is a problem, filters that attach to the computer monitor can help decrease the amount of light being reflected.
  • Minimize developing dry eyes by making a conscious effort to blink more often.

Save your vision! Schedule a comprehensive dilated eye exam at Lighthouse Guild.

Make an Appointment

Lighthouse Guild’s full service Optometric and Low Vision Clinic:
212-769-6313
ColumbiaDoctors Ophthalmology’s Robert Burch Family Eye Center:
212-305-9535
Both conveniently located at 250 West 64th Street, New York, NY 10023