4 Healthy Habits to Support Your Eye Health

One surprising factor when looking out for your eye health is the state of the weather. In Florida, wintertime can be an odd time in terms of external conditions. All the rules and tips that apply during summer months in Florida technically apply all year, and many winter festivals in the region are likely to leave you vulnerable to more sun exposure than wintertime in other locations. For example, boating on Christmas and beach visits in January are more than common holiday pastimes.

Still, this doesn’t mean people in Florida aren’t less vulnerable to the sun and external conditions. Florida’s winters are especially dry, which can cause dry eyes and irritation due to increased tear evaporation rates.

Meanwhile, the added sun exposure during winter also poses various eye health risks for individuals, from developing cataracts to possible eye growths and eye cancer.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you should stop having winter fun in Florida to conserve your eye health. Fortunately, you can adopt many healthy habits to support your eye health. Below, we’ll share four essential habits to help you protect your vision and eye health:

Wearing your glasses consistently

Eye health experts over the years have insisted that many eye and vision problems are preventable or treatable by simply wearing glasses. Eyewear retailer LensCrafters offers prescription glasses from sought-after brands in different shapes, designs, and frame materials. This ranges from Ray-Ban’s chic, half-rimmed New Clubmaster Optics to the sleek and transparent Burberry Elizabeth, all supporting prescription lenses for vision correction. If you don’t already own glasses, LensCrafters has a Frame Advisor tool to help you find the perfect glasses for your face shape and size. You can then quickly enter your prescription details and get your prescription glasses delivered.

Still, even regular glasses wearers tend to forget or misplace their glasses. One of the best ways to remind yourself to wear your glasses regularly is by having glasses chains or lanyards to ensure they are always with you. If you’re able, you can also opt to have a spare pair of glasses in your bag at all times in case you forget your main glasses on a night out. With regular glasses, you should also make time daily and weekly to clean them properly to ensure you can always see clearly through your lenses.

Eating a healthier diet

Maintaining a well-balanced diet is also crucial for supporting your eye health. This doesn’t mean you have to eat less or say goodbye to your favorite foods, but replacing unhealthy snacks with more nutritious ones can be a good start. Sunflower seeds and nuts, for example, are rich in vitamin E and can help slow age-related macular degeneration from worsening. If you enjoy crunchy snacks, these may be a good and nutritious alternative.

In a previous post on eating healthier, we highlighted how living in Miami means you’re surrounded by vibrant food options. Fortunately, this means you won’t have to look too far for healthy options like fresh tropical fruits, delicious seafood, or diverse Latin and Caribbean flavors. As such, you won’t have to sacrifice flavor or taste to eat more healthily and boost your eye and vision health. Thanks to Miami’s tropical climate, there are lots of fresh produce in the area. Eating healthier is also a great way to support local farmers’ markets and communities like the Coconut Grove Organic Market or the Pinecrest Farmers Market.

Staying physically active

Another crucial tip for supporting your eye health is staying physically active. Studies over the years have proven that routine physical exercise can support various aspects of your health. Your vision and eye health are no exception to this rule. Based on insights from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, exercise may protect against an overgrowth of blood vessels in eye conditions like age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss among people 50 or older.

Similarly, if you’re currently struggling with an eye disease, exercising regularly can help you manage it better.

A study found that people who engage in moderate physical exercise were less likely than inactive people to develop glaucoma. Many health entities and bodies suggest putting in 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise weekly, which is equal to about 30 minutes per day, five days per week. Even if you aren’t a fan of physically demanding sports, just putting in the time to talk, dance, or do some gardening can help keep you and your eyes healthy.

Reducing bad habits and vices

Finally, bad habits like smoking and drinking are known to impact your eye health negatively. Likewise, these vices can also contribute to harmful eye conditions. For example, heavy drinking has been linked with increased incidence of diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. Cigarette smoking has also been linked with dry and red eyes. Smokers are also more likely to get cataracts than non-smokers, which can cause blurry vision. Studies have also shown that people who smoke risk having optic nerve problems, which can lead to vision distortion or even blindness.

Fortunately, Florida has a significantly lower rate of smokers than other US states. Data from Statista shows that only 10% of Florida adults smoked as of 2022, which is only half that of West Virginia at 20%. Florida’s adult smoker rate is also slightly lower than the US average at 12% if you’d like the extra motivation to reduce or quit the habit. If you currently smoke or drink a lot, it can help to let your eye doctor know so they can inform you of possible.