2020 in the Rearview

Despite its correlation to perfect vision, 2020 was not as perfect as some of us may have envisioned. With that being said, the start of 2021 has brought time to reflect on what we want for ourselves in the upcoming year. Looking back at 2020 we can be sure of one thing, our health should be at the top of our list.

Health in a broad sense encompasses all parts of our bodies and to some extent is within our control. On a normal day to day, the average person may take their eye health for granted but that is more the reason to take proactive measures to maintain proper care.

As you continue or begin to set your New Year’s resolutions keep in mind the following tips that have been proven to maintain or improve eye health.

Dietary Tips:

• Eat eye-healthy food

  • Leafy greens

  • Fruits and berries

  • Fish

  • Whole grains

  • Nuts and seeds

  • Legumes

Exercise:

The correlation between physical-exercise and eye-health may not seem obvious, but they go hand-in-hand. Increased blood flow makes its way to the core parts of the eye, like the retina, ultimately making it stronger. Regular physical activity helps regulate other conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol that contribute to common retinal diseases.

Alter Your Lifestyle:

Other than the two lifestyle changes we encourage above, there are more upgrades that if done effectively can also improve or maintain your vision.

• If you smoke we encourage you to stop smoking. Tobacco use is proven to cause problems with other illnesses, but it has direct effects on retinal health.

• Implement stress reducing practices like meditation, painting, yoga, reading, and more

Get your eyes examined regularly:

Last but certainly not least we encourage everyone to get their eyes checked regularly. If you are at risk for developing retinal diseases we recommend you pay attention to any symptoms you may experience or are experiencing. To have a full evaluation for symptoms or preventative care, feel free to schedule an appointment at either our Elgin or Rockford office!