The New Year has begun and we are already almost finished with January. How are you New Year’s resolutions going? Hopefully you are still going strong and 2018 has been kind to you so far. After establishing my 2018 goals and resolutions, I started to think about eye/vision resolutions and put together a list for you to start seeing better in 2018.
1. Get your eyes (and family members, especially your kid’s eyes) checked this year
- That is a pretty easy task to check off your list, but it can make a huge difference not only in improving your vision but also your eye health.
- I can’t emphasize enough the importance of clear and comfortable vision in kids. Kids do not know what blurry vision is, and often do not show any symptoms that clue parents into a vision problem. With symptoms of hyperactivity and poor school performance a pair of eyeglasses can change a child’s whole world.
2. Follow your contact lens replacement, cleaning, and wearing instructions
- 1 in 6 contact lens patients drop-out of contacts every year due to poor vision/comfort issues.
- Contact lenses are recommended to be replaced, worn, or cleaned a certain way to keep them comfortable and to lessen your risk of an eye infection (which can lead to SERIOUS vision loss). Follow the rules that your eye doctor gives you so that you don’t become one of the 16% that has to stop wearing contacts.
- Try dailies- and yes, they are more expensive but when you total your cost for monthly/2-week replacement contact lenses plus the cleaning products (solutions/cases) needed to care for the lenses the price is very similar. I like dailies because they are the easiest to use and keep my patients the most compliant with my contact lens instructions.
3. Clean your eyelids daily
- Dry eyes can be caused by our eyelids. This type of dryness causes fluctuating vision, red/swollen eyelids, burning, and watering symptoms. Your eyelids are exposed to dust, debris, makeup, and bacteria daily and are often not cleaned properly. Years of this exposure clogs our oil glands located on our lid margins, which leads to eye comfort issues like dry eyes, styes, and blepharitis.
- Use a good quality eye-makeup remover and eyelid cleanser with tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is a great natural ingredient that reduces inflammation and cleans your eyelids. You may be thinking that you do not experience any of the symptoms noted previously, but you want to think of this cleaning as preventative to avoid debris/bacteria build up and symptoms later.
- This also helps keep your contact lenses more comfortable!
4. Think beyond everyday eyeglasses- #SEELIFEBETTER
- There are so many options beyond just your everyday eyeglasses.
- Contact lenses are a great option for many patients. You can still wear contacts if you have a bifocal or astigmatism. There are really cool colored and cosmetic contact lenses that can change your eye color or appearance. Wouldn’t you like a night out without eyeglasses, or be able to read a menu at dinner without pulling out your readers? Contact lenses do not need to be a full-time item, they can be just for the occasional summer wedding, traveling, Halloween costume, or dinner night out.
- If you sit in front of your computer for 8 hours a day then your primary eyeglasses SHOULD be for computer or digital devices. There are lenses made specially to improve your vision in front of your digital devices by reducing glare and helping your eyes relax.
- Do you love to golf, fish, or participate in any task that requires vision? We can enhance you experience by recommending certain lens options in your sport or activity specific eyewear. We love hearing from our fishermen/women that they can be out on the water all day without eyestrain or irritation because their new polarized mirrored sunglasses have improved their fishing experience. Or hearing from a busy mom, who just needs contact lenses for the gym, how easy it is to put in her daily contact lenses for her work-out and just throw them away instead of having to worry about carrying cleaning solution/cases.
It is in the little things that we can make a huge difference!
Only four steps to improving you vision and life this 2018. Just think of all the possibilities available with just an eye exam. Hope 2018 is your year!
Cheers,
Dr. Keller
See Life Better