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5 Main Rules for Healthy Eyes in the Homo-Hundred Era
5 Main Rules for
Healthy Eyes in the Homo-Hundred Era
Chief Director Park Yeong-soon of Eyelove Eye Clinic, Apgujeong
The Korean Ophthalmological Society announced the “5 Main Rules for Healthy Eyes in the Homo-Hundred Era.”
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First, individuals over the age of forty must get regular eye checkups. LASIK is not recommended for individuals over the age of forty due to reasons of aging eyes and changes resulting from the aging. Some main changes include presbyopia, which leads to a decline in the ability to see nearby objects, and cataracts, which is the clouding of the eye lens. This also leads to increased chances of various retinal diseases.
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Second, individuals must quit smoking and receive regular treatments for diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. This rule is connected to retina health. Research shows that the risk of macular degeneration doubles upon failure to receive regular treatments for the aforementioned diseases. Hypertension and hyperlipidemia damages retina blood vessels, which leads to high risks of macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and cataracts. Individuals with such diseases must receive thorough care.
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Third, individuals must cut back on excess use of smartphones and computers. Individuals tend to blink less when focusing on smartphones or computers for long periods of time. The average number of 15-20 blinks per minute decreases to about 3-5 blinks per minute. This can lead to dry eyes. To keep one’s eyes hydrated, one must take their eyes off the screen from time to time and blink several times.
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Fourth, individuals must wear safety equipment when working or exercising. There are frequent cases in which things unexpectedly fly into one’s eye when working. Anyone who has mowed grass around gravesites during the Chuseok holiday season will understand. There are actually more than 100 cases annually regarding mowing accidents that involve grass or pebbles that fly into people’s eyes, which lead to vision impairment. Protective goggles or equipment must be worn when working to protect the eyes.
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Fifth, individuals must wear hats, sunglasses, or UV protective glasses that can protect the eyes from UV rays during outdoor activities. Exposure to UV rays can lead to quicker aging of the eyes and can even penetrate through the retina to cause various eye diseases. Therefore, it is recommended that individuals always wear sunglasses that can shield off UV rays. UV ray protective coatings are transparent, and there are no connections between the colors of lenses and UV ray protection. It is important though to check whether the sunglasses are UV-protection certified and are labeled UV 400.
