Prevention is still a lot better that any corrective eyeglasses and eye supplements. Avoid having to wear geeky-looking, thick glasses by protecting your eyes, literally. You can do this by choosing the right protective sunglasses. Look for sungalsses that tells you how much UV protection the glasses offer. Ideally, your sunglass should block 99% to 100% of UV radiation. This means that the glasses will block 95% of UV radiation. UV radiation can cause irritation and even cataract in the long run. Dark colored sunglasses don’t necessarily protect you better. Gray, green, and brown lenses usually give better protection than other colors. More expensive designer shades may be more fashionable, but they don’t necessarily provide more protection. If you do decide to go for designer sunglasses, remember to look for the UV-protection label.

Close-fitting eyewear help block light more effectively. Look for wraparound shades or large lenses. Yellow or brown tinted lenses are more effective at counteracting the ‘blue’ glare on snow. That is the reason why most hobby-related and sports-related eyewear (dive masks, ski goggles, swim goggles) are made with the said color lenses. You can even have sunglasses and goggles fitted with prescription lenses.

For people who already use glasses, you can still lessen the gravity of damage to your eyes by performing eye exercises and relaxation techniques daily to increase optical muscle strength and coordination. Just take 30 minutes of your day to relax and rest your eyes by closing them for 10-15 minutes, and then rotating your eyes slowly for 2-3 minute to loosen tensed muscles on the eye sockets.

Awareness of healthy habits is also an important part of eye care. Watching TV, computer use, reliance on optical correction from glasses and contacts, as well as the normal aging process, all contribute to weak and distorted vision. Heavy alcohol consumption damages vision; and so do fat-concentrated food. The eyes have a very great need for oxygen and quality nutrients. A high-fat diet can restrict blood flow to the eyes (and all other parts of the body), and is directly related to incidence of macular degeneration.

Prolonged use of computers is one of the most common reasons for poor vision. Though your glasses can lessen the glare from the computer, a day of rest from the monitor still goes a long way. If daily computer use is unavoidable, then make sure you get a computer glare protector that can be attached to your screen. Wearing glasses with protective tints also helps lessen the stress on your eyes.

Health vision is something many of us take for granted, and if your eyesight has always been good, you may have never been to an optometrist. As we age though, the body requires more and more maintenance and this includes your eyes. People with bad eyesight are familiar with seeing an eye doctor, but everyone needs to take care of their eyes so they last as long as you do. There are many ways to take care of your eyes and most of them are just common sense, like don’t stick things in them. Other things are not so obvious but can have long lasting effects.

Diet can have an affect on healthy vision, although there is some argument as to how much. Vitamin C and E, along with calcium and folic acid can help you avoid macular degeneration and cataracts. There are also many different types of eye drops that do various things, like helping cataracts and glaucoma, but many optometrists say that regular eye drops bought off the store shelf can actually hurt your vision. Swimming can have an adverse affect on your vision, but it depends on the individual and most doctors agree that it takes years of constant exposure. Other environmental concerns include airborne pollution and other chemicals in enclosed spaces, which can also slowly degrade your vision over time.

Seeing an eye doctor is also a part of good vision health and is also the most overlooked by people with good eyesight. Newborns are usually checked at birth and again at 6 months. Children are due at ages 3, 6 and 13, but they will need to go more often if there is a family history of vision problems or if a problem is found during a routine checkup. Adults older than 18 need to go every 3 years until they turn 40; then they need to go every 2 years or as often as the optometrist recommends depending on how fast their sight is diminishing. Many late vision problems can now be corrected with LASIK surgery if you have the money or the insurance and you are looking for a more permanent solution than thicker glasses.

To offset the cost of vision care, especially if your eyesight is bad, many people have some type of vision plan. Health insurance usually includes some type of vision benefits, but they don’t cover much or there is a large deductible. Discount plans are also an option, and they can also provide savings on expensive procedures like LASIK eye surgery. You can also get a vision plan directly from some vision providers which can be the perfect solution if you only need vision insurance.