Article by Nanette Wiser
Audrey Hepburn set the style and I feel most glamorous sporting oversized designer sunglasses… unless I am in Gidget beach mode, strutting classic RayBans. What’s really trending this season is protecting your eyes while looking stunning in the sun. You can nourish your eyes with TLC, a combo of diet, polarized sunglasses, exercise and healthy tips. Start by booking your yearly eye exam, and ask about maintaining eye health at every age.
Eat For Eye Health: Choose foods rich in antioxidants, like Vitamins A and C and fish. Fruits and vegetables like leafy greens, pineapple, carrots, apricots, mangoes, papayas, oranges, lemons, and pumpkins are rich in the vitamins and antioxidants needed for bright, healthy eyes. Many foods – especially fatty fish, such as salmon – contain essential omega-3 fatty acids that are important to the health of the macula, the part of the eye responsible for central vision. An inadequate intake of antioxidants, consumption of alcohol or saturated fats may create free-radical reactions that can harm the macula – the central part of the retina. High-fat diets can also cause deposits that constrict blood flow in the arteries. The eyes are especially sensitive to this, given the small size of the blood vessels that feed them.
Health Tips: Exercise daily to improve blood circulation and oxygen levels to the eyes. Regular exercise also removes toxins. A good night’s sleep in a dark room without your devices supports eye health as well. Wash your hands with mild soap and use a lint free towel to gently pat your eyes dry; don’t rub. Some germs and bacteria on your hands can cause eye infections (conjunctivitis) and make you vulnerable to cold and viruses. If you smoke, stop. If you don’t smoke, avoid smokey rooms.
Soothe Your Eyes: It’s been a long day. Chilled cucumber slices, witch hazel cotton balls or a warm compress can help relieve your discomfort, as can artificial tears for lubricating (ask your doctor first for a recommendation.)
Wear Sunglasses: To protect your eyes from harmful ultraviolet (UV) light, choose sunglasses with both UVA and UVB protection. Also, wearing a hat with a brim will greatly reduce the amount of UV radiation slipping around the side of your sunglasses. If you have cataract surgery, protecting your eyes with the right sunglasses becomes even more important to avoid more damage.
What’s Trending: Small ’90s skinny sunglasses, mirrored lens or clear, stylish tinted or oversized ‘70s square and revamped aviators are all the rage. I like big cat-eye and cool flat-top sunnies for the ultimate PN style. Michael Kors and Tory Burch always look chic.
Computers, Cell Phones & Devices: In addition to not looking at your screens before bed or sleeping in the same room with them, limit your use of these without a break. The culprit is high energy blue light. Ask your eye doctor about taking Lutein or Zeaxanthin, eye nutrients that are concentrated in the macula and help filter blue light.
Here are some other tips to help when you’re on your computer:
- Keep your computer screen within 20″-24″ of your eye.
- Keep the top of your computer screen slightly below eye level.
- Adjust lighting to minimize glare on the screen.
- Blink frequently.
- Take a break every 20 minutes to focus on an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
- Use lubricating eye drops to soothe irritated, dry eyes.