We live in a visual age. Most Americans would say that that sight is their most powerful sense. From looking at billboards, watching movies, reading magazines, perusing internet sites to visiting the theatre, we use our eyes for pretty much everything. So, isn’t it prudent to take good care of such valuable organs? Your Eyes and Overall Health

If you’re a romantic or like to read fiction and poetry, you’ll have memorized and appreciated the saying, “the eyes are the windows to your soul.” But your eyes are also a good barometer of your overall health. We’re not just talking about the state of your eyes predicting cataracts and glaucoma; we’re talking about them being harbingers of diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Doctors say that ocular manifestations of health are really best interpreted by experts, which means that you should get an eye examination as regularly as you get a physical: at least once a year. If you have bloodshot eyes, or suspect that not everything looks normal or standard, then it’s time to consult your eye doctor and schedule an appointment.

Regardless, everyone should have a comprehensive eye exam by the time they are 40 years of age to ensure that their eye and overall health are in good order. Diseases such as pinkeye, bloody eye, bulging eyes or droopy eyelids suggest much deeper, bigger issues. For instance, a bloody eye could not only mean harmless hemorrhaging of the tiny bloody vessels that are on the outer layer of the eye, but also severe blood pressure. A droopy eyelid may mean a brain tumor. Yellow discoloration in the eyes may mean that some malfunction in the liver, including hepatitis and cirrhosis.

Eating well and taking regular vitamins are central to your having healthy eyesight. It is not enough to nourish your body alone: your eyes are delicate organs that need constant nutrients, blood flow and hydration in order to function optimally.

If you are a contact lens wearer, then opt for the Daily Acuvue™ variety that allow your eyes to breathe; the daily lenses provide superior hydration as well. There is now a breakthrough Acuvue contact lens technology called Hydraclear® that moisturizes your eyes thoroughly and provides ample lubrication throughout the day. Dryness of the eye is a consistent complaint of contact lens wearersand Hydraclear may be the answer. Furthermore, this technology allows three times more oxygen to the corneal area.

Another way to keep your eyes healthy if you are a contact lens wearer is to use the best possible solution to clean and store your lenses. One such solution that we recommend is Bausch & Lomb’s new Biotrue® multipurpose solution, the aim of which is to go many steps above and beyond cleaning. Biotrue has a lubricant that is found naturally in the human eye (hyaluronan), matches the PH of healthy tears, and keeps certain beneficial tear proteins active as they are naturally in the eye. The solution comes in a handy travel size as well. The best part? Your level of eye hydration is dramatically increased by using this solution.

The eyes, just like your body, need adequate amounts of proper nutrients and vitamins in order to perform optimally.

If you have dry eyes, you may want to increase your consumption of flaxseed and fish oil that contain dietary fatty acids. You can also increase the use of lubricating eye drops, (we recommend the Rohto brand). Fish oil and cod liver oil are popular supplements and you can pretty much find them everywhere.

In general, good nutrition for the body will translate into good nutrition for the eyes. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat milk will help your eyesight. In particular, lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts are definitely linked to good vision.

In the vitamin department, studies have shown that Vitamins C, E and A, and zinc and copper are excellent for eye health. Chances are that you’ve heard about the connection between eating a lot of carrots and good eyesight. Carrots are rich in Vitamin A, and this is also necessary for night vision and bolstering the immune system. Carotenoids give this vegetable their characteristic orange pigment, and in addition to providing color to vegetables and fruit, they act as antioxidants. Your body naturally converts certain carotenoids into Vitamin A. Carrots are not the only vegetable to contain essential Vitamin A: other supplements like lutein and zeaxanthin contain Vitamin A that is beneficial for sight as well.

Omega-3 essential fatty acids give excellent nutrition to the eyes and also reduce the risk of dry eyes. If you want to purchase vision supplements, look for popular and effective choices such as Icaps®, Ocuvite PreserVision® (from Bausch and Lomb), Oculaire® and MacuTriton®.

Why Vitamin A?

Vitamin A plays such an important role in your eye health that it may make sense to understand why. The vitamin prevents night blindness and also dryness of the eyes, corneal ulcers and swollen eyelids. Vitamin A is also thought to be a good prevention to cataracts and acts to prevent macular degeneration. Macular degeneration is thought to be the leading cause of blindness.Men are encouraged to take 1,000 Retinol Equivalents and women are encouraged to consume at least 800 Retinol Equivalents (you can find the Vitamin A dosage on the “Nutritional Information” panel on the back of your vitamin box or bottle).

"Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat milk will help your eyesight. In particular, lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts are definitely linked to good vision.

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