This pandemic is scaring most of us from going to our doctors for a check up. What can we on our own do to protect our eyes?

Here are some do’s and don’ts in eye care:

DO:
1. Eat right - Let’s eat food rich in vitamins and minerals, especially those with vitamins C and E, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acids. Go for green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, vegetable oils, nuts, whole grains and fish such as tuna.
2. Exercise at least 30 minutes a day. Exercising helps get rid of unwanted toxins in our bodies and burns fat that can lead to metabolic diseases.
3. Schedule a check-up with your doctor - if you are unsure about your cholesterol, blood sugar or hypertension status. Remember, prevention is better than cure.
4. For patients who have already been diagnosed with high blood pressure or diabetes, have your eyes checked. Make sure to get a dilated fundus examination to check your retina, too. The retina is the layer in the eye that is targeted by metabolic disorders: high blood and diabetes.

DON’T:
1. For individuals on maintenance medications, don’t forget to take them. Don’t be complacent about your health. If your blood pressure is normal now, it is likely because your hypertension meds are keeping it under control so do not stop your maintenance unless explicitly ordered by your doctor.
2. Don’t keep your eyes glued to your TV/computer/cellpjone the whole day. Being sedentary or not exercising can cause sluggishness of our normal bodily functions which can eventually lead to illness.
3. Don’t eat too much processed food or sweets. These can lead to high blood sugar which could cause diabetes. Diabetes can have deleterious effects on our kidneys, eyes, nervous and immune systems which could lead to death.

These are regular health tips. Following them may be the best thing we can do for our eyes. High blood pressure and diabetes can cause bleeding in the eye, blurring of vision and even total loss of vision. What is healthy for our bodies is healthy for the eyes.

Our eyes are irreplaceable once damage sets in. Let’s do our best to protect them.