Make Vision a Focus!
May is Healthy Vision Month and the National Eye Institute (NEI) wants everyone to Make Vision a Focus! The NEI states, “From the moment you wake up until you go to bed at night, your eyes are working to bring you the world. In fact, they deliver 80% of the information you take in every day — about your loved ones, your job, and all the things you love to see and do! That’s why it’s so important to keep them healthy and safe.” (1)
NEI believes that “Healthy Vision Month is a time to raise awareness about eye health and strategies to help prevent vision loss and blindness. There are lots of ways you can get involved, but first things first: get an eye exam — and encourage the people you care about to do the same!” (1)
American Indians and Alaska Natives and Elders
Eye health is important for both American Indians and Alaska Natives, as well as our Elders, so getting regular eye exams are important. “American Indians and Alaska Natives are 35 percent more likely to have diabetes than the average adult in the United States, putting them at increased risk of diabetic eye disease…Older adults are at higher risk of developing age-related eye diseases and conditions such as AMD [age-related macular degeneration], glaucoma, or cataract.” (2)
What You Can Do
Most vision problems are preventable, and getting an eye exam is of utmost importance. But NEI also provides a few other ways you can keep your eyes health including; knowing your family’s eye health history, protecting your eyes during work and play, giving your eyes a rest, wearing sunglasses, eating eye-healthy foods, staying a healthy weight, and getting plenty of physical activity. (3) To learn more about ways you can keep your eyes healthy visit https://nei.nih.gov/hvm/healthy_eyes
If you are interested in spreading the word about eye health and safety during Healthy Vision Month visit https://nei.nih.gov/hvm/spread_the_word
Sources
- National Eye Institute. (n.d.). Healthy Vision Month. Retrieved May 15, 2018, from https://nei.nih.gov/hvm
- Glaucoma Research Foundation. (2012, May 7). May is Healthy Vision Month: Keep an Eye on Your Vision. Retrieved May 15, 2018, from https://www.glaucoma.org/news/may-is-healthy-vision-month-keep-an-eye-on-your-vision.php
- National Eye Institute. (n.d.). Keep Your Eyes Healthy! Retrieved May 15, 2018, from https://nei.nih.gov/hvm/healthy_eyes
Leave a Reply