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7 Tips to Keep Your Vision Healthy and Clear

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Most of the information we receive from our surroundings comes through our eyes, so let's do our best to protect them. Follow these 7 tips to give your eyes and vision the boost they need to stay healthy. 

Eye Health Habits & Tips

1. Eat a Well Balanced Diet

Consuming a healthy and balanced diet filled with lots of vitamins and nutrients can help keep your eyes healthy and strong. Vitamins A, E and C, along with zinc, lutein, and omega-3 fatty acids have all been shown to support eye health and function — and  reduce the risk of sight-threatening eye diseases.

2. Exercise

Exercising for at least 20 minutes each day not only gets your body moving, but also improves blood circulation in the eyes. A regular exercise routine can also help you maintain a healthy weight and lower your risk of obesity — a risk factor for several diseases that cause vision loss in adults.

3. Control Your Blood Pressure 

Keeping your blood pressure within normal limits is not only important for your overall health, but for your eye health as well. High blood pressure can damage the tiny and fragile blood vessels that feed the retina, the light-sensitive tissue in the back of the eye, and result in blurred vision and vision loss. Maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle and taking the right medication, if prescribed, can help to reduce your blood pressure and your risk of vision loss.

4. Wear Sunglasses 

Wearing 100% UV protective sunglasses can protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful UV rays and reduce your risk of cataracts, age-related macular degeneration and other sight-threatening eye conditions. 

5. Rest Your Eyes

Spending hours each day in front of a computer screen or other digital device can lead to eye strain, fatigue and dry eye symptoms. Practice the 20-20-20 rule to give your eyes their much needed break — every 20 minutes, tear your eyes away from the screen and look at something at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. 

6. Quit Smoking

Smoking is hazardous to your health and affects nearly all the organs in your body, including your eyes. Cigarette smoke in particular contains toxins that have been shown to cause cerebral lesions in the visual processing area of the brain.

Smoking tobacco has also been linked to higher risks of sight-threatening eye diseases including age-related macular degeneration, cataracts and diabetic retinopathy.

7. Schedule Regular Eye Exams

Regular eye exams are a crucial part of maintaining eye health and vision. Comprehensive eye exams can detect early signs of eye disease, even before symptoms appear — facilitating earlier treatment and lowering your risk of permanent vision loss. 

If you're due for a routine checkup, you've noticed any changes in your vision, or you'd like to learn more about protecting your ocular health, contact Giddens Optometry in Georgetown to schedule an eye exam today!

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a3ef93d0 34de 453f b5f4 5ffd895a5f85 (1)A Letter from Dr. Ben Giddens

Hello friends, I have retired!

I had 37 years of good fun in Georgetown and loved the gift of meeting so many warm and friendly people! I am very sorry that I didn’t have the time to chat with everyone about my exact plans, and felt guilty over that at times. It was not an easy task. If anyone wants, or needs to contact me, please send an email to my office and I will reply.

I am 66 years old and still feel like I am in good health. My wife died of cancer in 2021 but I have good friends and family and a fun life. I recently moved back to Toronto which is where I grew up as a teenager. I have an active outdoor life and have many ski trips and travel plans in front of me. Lots of interests and activities to explore with an overriding sense that I am a lucky guy. I am also a grandfather now.

I have always tried to employ staff and optometrists who have a heart. I think that is where the office is at today and I hope it continues. Everyone knows their work, and the heart matters.

Ben.