For Mother’s Day, Give the Gift of Healthy Eyes

While we may give flowers, chocolates, and a nice gift for Mother’s Day, consider making an eye exam appointment for the mother in your life this month. As we age, the prevalence or risk of eye conditions and diseases increases. Approximately 37 million adults in America have age-related macular degeneration, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, or glaucoma, all of which can cause visual impairment or blindness. Hawaiian Eye Center encourages everyone – including moms!– to take charge of their eye health and preserve their sight by following simple yet highly effective tips.

“As we celebrate Mother’s Day this month, we can remind our loved ones to prioritize their eye care,” says Dr. Steven Rhee, Medical Director, and head Ophthalmologist at Hawaiian Eye Center. “Many vision conditions may not present symptoms – but they can affect people in all stages of life.”

The easiest way to maintain healthy vision is to receive regular comprehensive eye exams. In order to thoroughly examine a patient’s vision, an eye care professional will use drops to dilate and widen the pupils to check for common vision problems and eye diseases. It is the best way to find out if you need glasses or contacts or are in the initial stages of any eye-related diseases.

Here is how to keep you and your loved ones’ vision healthy:

1. Help your loved ones book an annual eye exam – regardless of if eye symptoms are present.
2. Learn your family’s eye health history. It is important to know if anyone has been diagnosed with an eye disease or condition, since some are hereditary.
3. Eat right to protect your sight: In particular, eat plenty of dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, or collard greens, and fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids.
4. Wear protective eyewear when playing sports or doing activities around the home, such as painting, yard work, and home repairs.
5. Quit smoking, or never start.
6. Wear sunglasses that block out 90%+ ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation.
7. Wash your hands before taking out contacts and cleanse contact lenses properly to avoid infection.

Taking care of your eyes also benefit your overall health. People with vision problems are more likely than those with good vision to have diabetes, poor hearing, heart problems, high blood pressure, lower back pain and strokes, as well as have increased risk for falls, injury and depression.

In addition to your comprehensive dilated eye exams, visit an eye care professional if you have:

• Decreased vision.
• Eye pain.
• Drainage or redness of the eye.
• Double vision.
• Diabetes.
• Floaters (tiny specks that appear to float before your eyes).
• Circles (halos) around light sources; or
• If you see flashes of light

For Mother’s Day, give the gift of healthy eyes. To learn more about eye health or schedule your next eye appointment