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You didn't receive an owner’s manual with your eyes, but here are some things your eye doctor would like you to know to take good care of them.

1. Your Eyes and Ultraviolet Light: The Good

A little daily sunlight on your skin is good for your eyes. A few minutes daily of exposure to the ultraviolet (UV) light within sunlight is needed for the body to produce Vitamin D. Vitamin D protects against macular degeneration, a condition that leads to vision impairment. Your eye doctor won’t tell you to stay indoors to protect your eyes (but they will tell you to wear sunglasses)! Natural light is also the best for seeing (and reading), since our eyes have developed to respond to the spectrum in our natural environment. A pair of sun readers can prevent uncomfortable glare off the printed page if you are reading outdoors.

2. Your Eyes and Ultraviolet Light: The Bad

However, UV light on the eyes can indeed harm them. Exposure over the course of years can cause macular degeneration as well as cataracts, another form of vision impairment. For this reason, most eyewear comes with a UV-protective coating. A bespectacled person has better protection outdoors than a person with no glasses; your eyewear isn’t just fashionable, it’s good for your eye health! It’s important to keep in mind that small-framed glasses, whether clear or tinted, allow UV light to reach the eye from the top and sides. The American Optometric Association recommends wraparound sunglasses for those who spend much of the day outdoors. Just as good, and less well known, are contact lenses with an FDA Class 1 UV blocker. No UV light can get around these, because they cover the entire pupil and iris.

3. Your Eyes and Nutrition

Have you wondered why children are told to eat their carrots for better vision? It’s because carrots contain beta-carotene, a nutrient that does in fact protect against macular degeneration. Carrots are also a source of Vitamin A, which protects against night blindness. What you probably weren’t told as a child is that sweet potatoes, winter squash, spinach, and kale are even better sources of beta-carotene. Liver, eggs, and milk are also great sources for Vitamin A.

Furthermore, the list of nutrients that are good for eye health includes:

• Omega-3 fatty acids (think fish and walnuts)
• Bioflavonoids (in berries and beans, for example)
• Vitamin C lutein, zeaxanthin, selenium, zinc, Vitamin E
• Vitamin D, as mentioned above

The message from all of this? Eat a balanced diet with lots of unprocessed foods, and your eyes will benefit. Your visual acuity will not improve, but it will run less risk of being degraded.

4. The Good and the Bad of Polarized Lenses

Oh, the delight of viewing a bright day through polarized sunglasses! By removing glare, polarized lenses increase eye comfort outdoors. However, there are times when you’ll want to take off those polarized glasses and maybe put on a non-polarized pair. LCD and LED displays are often unreadable through polarized glasses. In some specific outdoor sporting situations, glare can actually help you, so polarized glasses aren’t the best choice—under some skiing conditions, for example, glare may be the telltale sign of ice, a hazard you want to see so you can steer clear.

5. Will Reading in Dim Light Damage your Eyesight?

How many times have you been warned not to read in dim light? This advice, as old as it is, is also false. Old eyes do often lose their visual acuity, but this happens regardless of the light the person used for reading (or sewing, or engraving miniatures on a grain of rice). You may find that your eyes are more comfortable, and that you are able to focus longer, if you use brighter light and if you wear reading glasses.

Help Keep Your Eyes Healthy with Our Wide Selection of Eyeglass Frames!

We’ve talked about the good, touched on the bad, but there is no ugly here! Our collection of beautiful glasses will help you take good care of your eyes. Shop www.ihearteyewear.com today to view our fashionable choices of readers, sunglasses, bifocal sunglasses, and eyewear accessories. And stay tuned for the second part of this blog to help keep your eyes in tip top shape.

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Reading Eyewear and Sunglasses are Key for Healthy Vision

Those of us who wear glasses spend serious time considering which eyeglass frames will look best on our faces. But how many of us also stop and think about how our habits affect our eye health? Follow these tips for healthy eyes, so that picking out frames is the only difficult eye decision you have to make:

• Wear sunglasses. UV exposure can do damage to your eyes, just as it does your skin. Remember your sunglasses even in the winter when it’s cloudy to protect your eyes from 99% of eye-damaging UV exposure.

• Eat healthy foods. Foods rich in lutein, omega-3s, and vitamin C are great for your eye health. Berries are beneficial for your eyes, as are bright green veggies, avocados, and citrus fruits. Salmon and sardines are known for high levels of omega-3s, and legumes and grass-raised beef can also be a healthy diet staple. Eat these foods to avoid eye conditions like glaucoma and macular degeneration.

• Choose the right power level for reading glasses. Many places have a simple eye chart that can help you determine which level of magnification is right for your eyes. Our reading eye chart is available to print out, so you can check your reading glasses power level from the convenience of your own home. The wrong strength can cause headaches and strain your eyes over time.

• Take a break from technology. Look away from the computer every so often to avoid strain, blurry vision, and dry eyes. Follow the 20/20/20 rule by looking away at something 20 feet away, every 20 minutes, for 20 seconds.

• Don’t skip checkups. Your vision may seem fine to you, but your eye doctor can check your eye health from the inside out. Eye doctors may also see signs of other illnesses, such as diabetes, just from looking at your eyes.

Great Looking Reading Glasses are Just a Click Away

Need great, stylish new reading glasses? Browse the I Heart Eyewear catalogue online, and shop by type, color, style, and shape! Our quality reading glasses are priced for any budget, and most of them are under $20! Shop www.ihearteyewear.com today for all of your eyewear needs.

Reading Glasses Strengths and How to Find Your Power Level

Many people need reading glasses when they get older because of a common medical condition known as presbyopia, which makes text close to the eyes more difficult to discern. If you have difficulty reading close text, it might be time for you to invest in a stylish pair of readers.  

Luckily, you do not need to visit the optometrist to find your appropriate reading glasses strength. Instead, you can take what’s known as a Diopter Test. This exam is an easy, fast, on-paper test available at most reading glasses suppliers or drug stores.

The Diopter Test will give you a starting point to measure your degree of presbyopia. If you need reading assistance, you’ll likely need to try on several pairs of glasses to find exactly the right strength for you. After taking the test, try the test-recommended strength, and then move up or down the scale, which ranges from +1.00 to +4.00, to find the best reading glasses for your needs.

Here is our Reading Eye Chart to print out and use as a guide:

After identifying your correct prescription strength, you can begin looking for the perfect glasses to complement your style and meet your needs. Reading glasses can help you appear more distinguished and professional, especially if you find the right pair to complement your facial features.

In addition to obtaining appropriate eyewear, engage in other behaviors to protect your vision. Eat a balanced, nutritious diet, and stay away from too much sugar and refined carbohydrates. Avoid staring at the computer or other screens late at night, not only to protect your vision, but also to ensure adequate rest and good sleep.

Shop Eyeglass Frames for Sale Online from I Heart Eyewear

I Heart Eyewear has a fantastic selection of designer reading glasses that are affordable and chic. We’re conveniently located just east of San Francisco, and our brand has been selling attractive eyewear solutions across the U.S. for over 35 years. Most of our reading glasses are priced under $20, and can be sorted by type, shape/style, and even color/pattern. Start browsing now, right here at www.ihearteyewear.com.