Eye and Vision Tips

1. When going to your eye doctor for your annual eye examination bring a list of the medications that you are taking along with the dosages. Have your physician's name and phone number available so that the eye doctor can contact him or her if necessary.
   
   

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2. Before going in for your annual eye examination, measure the working distance from the bridge of your nose to the computer screen and other near point work that you do (i.e. music stand, newspaper, etc.)
   
   

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3. Remember that nicotine and alcohol affect the viability of nerve endings in the retina, the optic nerve and the metabolism of the crystalline lens within the eye. Consequently, smoking and/or drinking may adversely affect your vision permanently.
   
   

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4. For those complaining of chronic headaches, some causes are: visual errors which are not adequately corrected, dental problems, allergies and sinus infections, stress, poor nutrition, lack of sleep, chronic depression, high blood pressure, glaucoma and various medication.
   
   

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5. Be careful when choosing eye makeup. "Hypo-allergenic" makeup does not really mean anything. At the present time, there are no FDA controls on the eye makeup industry. It's strictly "buyer beware". If your eyes itch and burn, the cause may very well be your eye makeup. What should be done is to eliminate all eye makeup for at least one week. Each form of eye makeup should be applied one at a time (i.e. First liner for one week, then add shadow the second week and so on until you localize the offending eye makeup).
   

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6. Be careful when applying creams and oils to the upper lids and forehead. These substances can gravitate into the eyes and cause burning, itching and other ocular problems.
   
   

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7. Do not use Visine or other similar eyedrops if you should think that you have something in your eye. The first thing to do is to flush out your eyes with copious amounts of eyewash or cool water. In the event of chemicals entering your eyes, time is essential. Stick your head under the sink and allow the water to flush out the chemical from around your eyes. This should be done for at least 15 minutes. Your eyecare provider should be contacted as soon as possible.
   
   

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8. For those who use hairspray and wear contact lenses - close your eyes when applying hairspray. Hairspray has a lacquer base which may destroy your lenses.
   
   

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9. Always clean your contact lenses after removal. Don't clean them in the morning again since they didn't get soiled overnight.
   
   

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10. Your computer monitor should be placed 18" to 26" from your eyes and 10 to 20 degrees below straight ahead gaze.
    
    

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11. Eyeglass wearers with thick lenses should select small eyeglass frames because big frames can cause visual distortions.
    
    

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12. Golfers who wear bifocals would be better off wearing single vision lenses or contact lenses. Multi-focal lenses will tend to throw off the visual alignment system and depth perception.
    
    

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13. Soft contact lenses, which are not worn for 48 hours or longer, should be cleaned and stored in the refrigerator and disinfected before wearing.