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Eye injuries are surprisingly common. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, roughly 2.5 million people suffer these injuries each year. Many of them occur at home, as well as while playing sports. And the scariest part is that an eye injury can lead to vision impairment or blindness.  How can you reduce the odds of harming your eyes? Below is a list of tips that you can implement into your daily life when performing a variety of tasks that may put you at risk of hurting yourself.  Wearing Protective Eyewear Is Simple Yet Effective One of the easiest things that you can do to avoid eye injuries is wear gear that will provide protection on all sides of your peepers. Yes, it’s that simple!  There are so many scenarios in which wearing protective eyewear can be super helpful. Here are some examples: when you’re working on your car in the garage, when you’re gardening, and when you’re doing anything that might cause dust or objects to get into your eyes.  Safety goggles can come in really handy when you’re using cleaning products around the house, or when you’re using any chemicals, detergents, or other substances that might splash into your eyes by accident, causing harm.  When you’re playing sports, it’s a great idea to use protective eyewear that boasts the ASTM F803 designation. This indicates that the product is designed to help protect the eyes during various activities, such as basketball, soccer, baseball, and tennis.  But, wait, won’t regular prescription eyeglasses, or maybe even sunglasses, protect you? Put simply, no, they aren’t designed to give you the level of protection that you need to keep your eyes as safe as possible. Plus, if you’re ever hit in the eyes with a large object, your glasses might even cause a more serious injury. Ouch! Pro tip: If you need to wear prescription eyeglasses, and you don’t wear contact lenses, you can simply purchase protective eyewear that’s designed to fit over your glasses. Or, with the right vision insurance, you might be able to get your hands on high-quality, affordable prescription safety glasses! Protect Your Eyes in Your Home and in Your Own Backyard  Here are some of the activities during which protective eyewear is recommended when working around the house or in your yard: When you’re cleaning and disinfecting with harsh products, such as bleach and chemical-based supplies (when using a spray bottle, be sure you spray away from your face). When you’re mowing the lawn, removing leaves, and pruning plants.    When you’re using pesticides or fertilizers in your garden, even if they are natural. When you’re cooking and there’s a risk of hot oil splattering and getting into your eyes. When you’re using household items, like rubber bands and wire hangers, that can accidentally hit you in the eye and cause harm. Protect Your Eyes While You’re Working Let’s not forget that eye injuries can also occur in the workplace, and these can result in serious damage, such as permanent loss of vision.  If you work in an environment that exposes you to chemicals, if you use tools, or if there’s the risk of being hit in the eye with objects like glass, dust, or metal, always wear the appropriate protective gear to help reduce the risk of harm. Examples include face shields, goggles, welding helmets, and full-face respirators. Take Action Right Away If You Injure Your Eyes! You can’t always prevent accidents, even when you do your best to protect yourself. If you end up hurting an eye, see a doctor or ophthalmologist right away, as this isn’t something that you should try treating on your own at home.  Even if the injury appears to be minor or you don’t have symptoms, see a medical professional ASAP because some problems, such as increased pressure or retinal tears, might not be obvious at first.   After calling your doctor to let them know about your injury, you may be told to avoid touching your eye. And if there’s an object in the eye, you might be told to leave it alone until you get to the doctor. Also, wait until you’re given instructions before using any medications. And, when appropriate, flush your eye with water if a substance, such as a cleaner, got into it (read product labels carefully to be sure this is what you should do).  Your eyes are delicate, so take care of them, not only by seeing your eye doctor for checkups, but also by protecting your peepers during everyday activities that might lead to injuries.       Sources: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/preventing-eye-injuries https://www.theeyeclinic.net/2018/10/03/eye-injury-prevention/ https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/eye-injury/art-20047121 https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/preventing-injuries https://preventblindness.org/eye-safety-at-home/ https://preventblindness.org/preventing-eye-injuries/#1585701895414-4712076d-209f https://rx-safety.com/2019/12/what-does-the-eyewear-designation-astm-f803-stand-for-and-why-is-it-important/ https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/injuries  

Did you know that diabetes can lead to eye problems, and it can even potentially cause blindness? Scary, but true—and yet another reason why it’s so important to control your blood sugar if you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes.  Below is a brief look at what diabetic eye disease is, and how you can protect your peepers so you can continue seeing clearly.   Diabetic Eye Disease: Multiple Conditions That Can Affect Your Vision Diabetic eye disease isn’t a single condition. Instead, it’s a group of conditions that can affect the health of your eyes and take their toll on your vision when you have diabetes.  Glaucoma – Diabetes causes your risk of developing glaucoma to double. There are different types of glaucoma, which may lead to excessive pressure in the eye. It can affect your vision, and it might even cause blindness if you don’t treat it. Your doctor might recommend medications, drops, laser treatments, or surgical procedures to resolve this problem.  Cataracts – This condition affects the lens of the eye, causing it to become cloudy, and causing your vision to suffer as a result. Although this problem can occur with age, diabetics are at an increased risk of developing cataracts, and of being diagnosed at a younger age. In terms of treatment, there is a surgery to replace the lens.  Diabetic retinopathy – This condition can result in vision problems because of damaged blood vessels. It’s the most common cause of loss of vision in diabetics, and it affects roughly one in every three diabetics who are older than 40. Treatment options include injections, laser treatment, and surgery.  Diabetic macular edema – This problem can occur as a complication of diabetic retinopathy. When fluid leaks into the macula, it can lead to swelling that results in vision loss, and it may lead to blindness. Treatment options include injections, medications, and laser surgery.    Wait, How Is It Possible That Diabetes Affects the Eyes? By now, you might be wondering how your blood sugar could possibly affect your eyes and vision.  Put simply, when your blood sugar is too high, your vision may become blurry because of changes in fluid levels in the eyes, or because of swelling in the eyes.  The good news is that this blurriness might go away on its own once you get your blood sugar back down to normal. If you don’t get your blood sugar under control, however, and it remains high for too long, the blood vessels in the eyes may become damaged, leading to other problems, such as swelling, pressure, and scarring.  How to Prevent Diabetic Eye Disease Because diabetes is a condition that can affect the health of your eyes, it’s wise to take steps daily to control it.  1. Consult with your doctor to learn about the ways you can effectively manage your blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure. If these are high, and you aren’t treating these problems, your risk of diabetic eye disease is likely to increase.  2. Have your eyes and vision examined on a regular basis, such as once a year. This is imperative because you won’t always experience obvious symptoms even though damage is occurring. Your eye doctor can dilate your eyes, as well as use various tools, to determine the health of your retina, the pressure in your eyes, and more. Catching problems in their earliest stages, and treating them right away, is best.  3. Establish healthier lifestyle habits. For example, if you can improve the way you eat, go for it! If you smoke, it’s a great idea to quit, especially since it’s capable of boosting the risk of diabetic eye disease. And if you aren’t active, diving into a strong workout routine is also smart.  Take Great Care of Your Eyes! In addition to working with your physician to learn about the many ways to keep your blood sugar stable, it’s also necessary to see an eye doctor regularly when you have diabetes. And, with the right vision insurance, you’ll be able to afford trips to your favorite eye care professional who can examine your vision and prescribe glasses or contacts so you can see clearly.   The bottom line is this: whether or not you have diabetes, it’s necessary to take excellent care of your eyes in order to preserve your vision. But if you do have diabetes, you need to take extra steps to ensure you’re managing the condition daily.  Just remember, your blood sugar can affect your vision. So, by keeping your blood sugar in check, you’ll also be working on keeping your eyes as healthy as possible.          Sources: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/preventing-problems/diabetic-eye-disease https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/diabetes-eye-problems  https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/diabetic-eye-disease https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/diabetic-retinopathy  https://preventblindness.org/diabetic-macular-edema-dme/ https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/diabetic-macular-edema-treatment#1  https://www.diabetes.org/diabetes/complications/eye-complications

Updated December 2022 Does your poor eyesight have you asking, "Do I need glasses?" Or have you noticed that your vision isn’t as good as it used to be? Maybe you’re wondering how to know if you need glasses. To help you answer these questions, we’ve put together a list of 10 signs you need glasses. But just remember that only an eye doctor can determine if corrective lenses are right for you. So, if you have any questions about your vision, make an appointment with a professional who can examine your eyes and give you the proper diagnosis.  10 signs you need glasses If your eyesight is bad enough to need glasses, you probably have noticed some symptoms letting you know that it's time to see the eye doctor. Below, we have listed 10 of the most common signs you need glasses.  1. You’re seeing blurry Not seeing 20/20? Glasses can help you get there. Blurry vision is one of the top signs of needing glasses. If you have trouble seeing objects closer to you (farsightedness) or farther away from you (nearsightedness), an eye doctor can give you the appropriate prescription. 2. You’re squinting a lot Another telltale sign that you might need glasses is if you find yourself squinting a lot in an effort to focus. By squinting, you can limit the light that enters your eye and make a blurry image look a little clearer. Glasses would eliminate the need to squint altogether. 3. Your eyes are fatigued Do you deal with eye fatigue or strain often, or do you experience pain in your eyes? Do your symptoms last for days, without going away, and you can’t figure out why? Then it’s time to see an eye doctor, as you might need glasses to help your eyes feel better. 4. You’re seeing halos around lights If your eyes can’t focus when you look at a light, you might see a halo around it. You can test it by looking at a car's headlights at night or a light bulb in your home. A halo can be one of the symptoms of needing glasses.  5. You’ve been getting a lot of headaches Have you been getting a lot of headaches lately? It may be related to your sight. Getting headaches from needing glasses is a common problem. The headaches might result from trying extra hard to focus your eyes, so getting glasses that bring everything into focus can help relieve the pain.  6. You’re seeing double Seeing double shouldn’t be taken lightly. Your eye doctor can help you figure out what’s going on. Tell your doctor about the times of day during which you typically experience double vision and the activities that seem to cause it. Finding the right prescription glasses might be all that’s needed to get rid of this troublesome symptom.  7. You can no longer read with ease If you’ve noticed that reading has become rather difficult, it may be one of the signs you need reading glasses. Take note of how you need to hold a piece of paper, a menu at a restaurant, or a book to be able to read them. Do you need to hold it closer to your face than before, or farther away? You may not need to wear glasses all the time. Your eye doctor might recommend a pair of reading glasses to fix this problem. If you're wondering how to know when you need reading glasses instead of full-time glasses, it's best to consult with your eye doctor.  8. Your eyes take a while to adjust from dark to light When you move from an environment that is dark to one that is light, pay attention to how quickly your eyes adjust. Are they taking longer than they used to, or are you experiencing a lot of sensitivity to the light? See your eye doctor for answers, and to find out if glasses are necessary 9. You need more light to see, and you have trouble seeing at night Needing more light at night might be a sign that you need prescription eyeglasses, or it might be related to another eye condition that a doctor would need to treat. It could be that, with age, your eyes are no longer able to adjust to the darkness as easily as they used to. 10. You rub your eyes a lot Rubbing your eyes frequently might be related to eye strain or fatigue. As mentioned above, wearing glasses might be the appropriate solution.  3 signs you don’t need glasses No matter what age you are, glasses are not for everyone. Below are some signs that you might not actually need glasses:  1. Your symptoms are caused by dry eye Dry eye is a condition that may cause a host of symptoms, like irritated, scratchy, and stinging eyes, along with teary eyes. And it might even cause you to experience sensitivity to light and blurry vision. So while you might assume, at first, that you need glasses, your doctor might tell you that you really only need to tackle the dry eye problem to feel and see better. 2. Your symptoms are caused by cataracts Cataracts is a condition that can develop with age. Basically, the lens of the eye becomes clouded, and that causes you to have worse vision than you did when you were younger. In this case, glasses won’t help, but a surgical procedure will. 3. Your vision hasn’t changed much with age Finally if your vision hasn’t changed much despite your age and you aren’t experiencing any strange symptoms, you probably don’t need glasses. However, it’s still wise to see an eye doctor annually for a checkup to be sure everything is fine. If you would like to help make sure your eyes stay healthy so you don't need glasses, there are some good foods for eye health that can help. Want to save money on eye exams and glasses? Get the right insurance! Whether you need glasses now, or you find yourself needing glasses in the future, getting to those eye doctor appointments is smart. If you have floaters in your vision or you're worried something serious is wrong with your eyes, take the time to make an appointment now. Don't stress about the cost of eye exams and prescription glasses, though. Instead, consider investing in a Spirit Vision insurance plan to help cover the cost so you don’t have to sacrifice your ability to see clearly. Contact us today to find out more about how we can help.  Sources: https://www.eyeque.com/knowledge-center/10-signs-you-need-glasses/ https://www.allaboutvision.com/eye-exam/do-i-need-glasses/ https://www.healthywomen.org/your-health/menopause-aging-well/signs-you-need-glasses https://www.insider.com/how-to-tell-if-you-need-glasses-2019-6 https://visionsource.com/blog/10-signs-glasses/ https://www.specsavers.com.au/help-and-faqs/will-i-need-glasses-if-i-have-dry-eye https://www.magrudereye.com/eyeglasses/9-major-signs-you-need-glasses/

At the end of the day, you take out your contact lenses, put them in their case with some contact lens solution, and head to bed. The next morning, you take them out of the case and put them in your eyes before heading off to start your day. But, in between, are you taking good care of your lens case? Are you cleaning it well enough? If you aren’t, there are some scary risks involved. That’s why we’ve put together a helpful guide to show you how to clean your contact lens case properly for the health of your eyes. Use Your Contact Lens Solution to Clean Your Case If you were worried that cleaning your contact lens case would require a lot of additional steps, fear not. While you can follow the directions given to you by your eye doctor, or the contact lens solution manufacturer’s guidelines, here are some simple steps that you can follow as well: After you put the lenses in your eyes, empty the case of any solution that’s left. You definitely should not be reusing old solution or adding additional solution to it. Just dump it and start fresh. Once the case is empty, use your finger to rub the inside of it for about five seconds. This helps remove bacteria and biofilm. Next, thoroughly rinse the case, as well as the inside of the lids, with some of your multi-purpose contact lens solution. Then, wipe it all with a clean tissue. To completely dry the case, you could just set it face down, with the lids off, on a tissue to let it air-dry. Keep it in a clean location that’s free of moisture. Important Step: Always—and we mean always—wash your hands before handling your contact lens case and the lenses themselves. And be sure your hands are clean before you use your fingers to rub the inside of the case (step 2 above). Beware - Don’t Use Water to Clean Your Case! While it might seem like a no-brainer to rinse your case out with some tap water, this is a bad idea. That’s because the water might be host to bacteria that may do a lot of damage. An example is Acanthamoeba keratitis, which is a serious infection of the cornea that might even result in vision loss. Yikes! Just stick with using your multi-purpose solution to get the job done. Replace That Case Often! Think you can go a really long time using the same old contact lens case? Think again. To prevent the spread of bacteria that may cause irritation or infection, it’s actually best to throw away your case and replace it with a new one every three months, if not sooner. Is this really necessary? Yes. Microorganisms, including bacteria, might end up making their home in your case, forming an invisible biofilm that might even prevent your cleaning solution from doing its job properly. Are You Keeping Your Case in the Bathroom? It Might Not Be Such a Good Idea Did you know that, because the bathroom can be a humid environment, and because of toilet plume (basically, pathogens spray into the air every time you flush), the risk of contamination becomes greater? So it isn’t always a good idea to store your contact lens case there, convenient as it might be. Where should you store your contact lens case? Well, experts recommend a low-humidity environment that’s also hygienic. But if you must keep it in your bathroom, just try not to leave it out in the open. That way, you can prevent contaminants from getting to it so easily. Do You Need to Upgrade Your Routine? If you haven’t been cleaning your contact lens case according to the directions above, don’t worry, you aren’t alone. Just upgrade your routine so you can take additional steps towards preventing problems. After all, this is your eyes we’re talking about! Also, don’t forget to visit your eye doctor regularly to ensure you always have fresh contacts that fit just right and allow you to see clearly. With insurance like Spirit Vision, you can see your doctor without worrying about breaking the bank whenever you need new lenses. Sources: https://www.feelgoodcontacts.com/eye-care-hub/how-to-clean-a-contact-lens-case https://www.self.com/story/contact-lens-case-mistakes https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/vision-and-vision-correction/contact-lens-care https://www.aao.org/eye-health/glasses-contacts/contact-lens-care