Eye Care

Daily eye care is important to maintain healthy eyes, even if your eyes are healthy and your vision good. Proper hygiene and preventive eye care will help you avoid problems like irritations, eyestrain, infection, and injuries.

Avoid eyestrain by using plenty of light when reading. When using a computer the computer screen should be slightly below eye level. Adjust the screen brightness and contrast to your maximum viewing comfort and clean the screen regularly. If your vision changes, have your eyes tested. Regular medical eye exams and vision testing are important for early detection of eye disease and for correction of vision problems.

Keep the eye area clean with regular face washings. Women should remove all eye makeup before going to bed. Avoid touching your eyes with dirty hands. Wash your hands regularly, especially after going to the bathroom, coughing into your hands, or blowing your nose. It is also important to wash your hands after handling contaminated food such as raw chicken or raw meat. To prevent an infection in your eyes wash your hands after taking care of someone who is ill.

Important eye safety tips to remember:

• adults and children should wear sunglasses that give 100 percent UVA and UVB protection from ultraviolet rays when in the sun or using a sunlamp
• always wear safety glasses when working with tools, machinery, or chemicals
• know that regular eyeglasses don't always provide enough protection
• avoid flying toys and projectile-firing toys; these pose a danger to all children, particularly those under 5 years old
• keep kitchen utensils, desk supplies, and personal-use items (such as cosmetics and toiletry products) where they are out of reach of children
• avoid scratching an eye with cosmetic applicators and brushes
• shield your eyes when using aerosol sprays
• wear proper sports eye guards and face masks when playing sports and
• know proper first-aid for eye injuries

Protect your vision. Seek medical care for any change in the condition of your eyes or vision or for any serious eye injury. Proper evaluation and treatment are crucial to healing any eye problem and preventing blindness.

Last Reviewed 2005

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

HIL File EYES4510.RF2 VRS# 4510 Data Version 7.0 Copyright 2000, 2003 McKesson Health Solutions LLC. All rights reserved.