Winning winter eye care advice
Winter time requires extra vigilance to fight off illness. Health experts point out that during winter it’s especially important to carve out a few special ways to take care of yourself, maintain wellness and reduce stress.
Dr. Marguerite McDonald is an ophthalmologist who says that eye care is an area of our health that is often neglected, and suggests putting new eye lenses on winter wellness checklist. “Nothing gives away your age or hinders your eye health like a pair of bifocals or reader glasses — and nearly 50 percent of Baby Boomers are still wearing these chunky, lined, outdated eyeglasses,” says McDonald, who also is one of the world’s premier refractive surgeons. “There’s no reason to succumb to aging stereotypes. As a Boomer myself, I’m keenly aware of the benefits of maintaining my vitality, starting with my vision.” Dr. McDonald provides tips to help you look and feel younger — during the winter and all year ‘round:
•’Tis the Season: According to the Vision Council of America, more than 11.5 million American adults have an uncorrected visual impairment. Whether it’s fully seeing and enjoying the sights and sounds of winter, ensuring safe driving, or being more productive at work — seeing the world accurately has a deep impact on our quality of life.
• Put Eye Health at the Top of Your List: Spending long hours online; staring at the computer screen at night; assembling items with small parts; public areas with dry, germ-filled air; driving in winter weather conditions — all cause tremendous eye strain.
• The Gift that Keeps Giving: When considering vision correction, many people go straight to LASIK surgery, which they believe to be the “cure-all” answer. Presbyopia, the gradual loss of the eye’s ability to focus up close, will affect nearly every single American in their lifetime, even people who have never experienced vision problems, or who have had LASIK surgery. LASIK isn’t always the best choice in corrective measures. Consult with an eye care professional.
• Be Your Best: Choosing the highest quality and most technologically-advanced eyeglass lenses is the way to go. Many older lenses are thick and heavy, causing eye strain, vision-related headaches and eye fatigue. Modern lens materials are up to 50 percent thinner, 43 percent lighter and 45 percent flatter than a standard plastic lens, allowing for the clearest, sharpest vision possible – it is like seeing in high definition all the time!
• Check in for a Check up: Less than half of Boomers see an eye care professional every six months to a year and a quarter of them say they rarely or never have their vision checked. The first step toward healthy vision is being proactive and scheduling annual visits with your eye care professional — so make a resolution to start anew.