Tips for Eye Health
Now more than ever, taking care of ourselves is key to maintaining the health and safety of our loved ones and communities. For those who wear glasses or contacts, please take a look at the tips and advice below from the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
1. Avoid rubbing your eyes.
We all do it, but breaking this natural habit can help lower your risk of infection. Use tissues instead of your fingers to adjust classes or touch your eyes. If dry eyes are an issue, use moisturizing drops to soothe. Most importantly, thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before touching your eyes for any reason.
Our own Dr. Yuna Rapoport provided a few additional tips to prevent touching your eyes when they are dry or itchy: (1) Close your eyes and count to five. (2) Use an artificial tear or other moisturizing drops. (3) Over-the-counter antihistamine drops like Zaditor work great when eyes get extremely itchy.
2. Glasses may add a layer of protection.
Glasses and sunglasses can prevent infected respiratory droplets from reaching your eyes, but they do not provide 100% protection.
3. If you wear contact lenses, consider switching to your glasses.
Contact lens wearers touch their eyes more than the average person. “Consider wearing glasses more often, especially if you tend to touch your eyes a lot when your contacts are in. Substituting glasses for lenses can decrease irritation and force you to pause before touching your eye,” Dr. Sonal Tuli advises.
4. Stock up on eye medicine prescriptions if possible.
Experts advise patients to stock up on critical medications in case of quarantine or limited supplies. Although this may not be possible for some, reach out to your pharmacist or ophthalmologist to obtain a 3-month supply or more of vital eye medicine prescriptions if possible.
Over the coming weeks, our phone lines will remain open even if our doors cannot—we will do our best to help in any way we can. Feel free to reach out to Customer Care team at (800) 899-1060 with any questions.
We hope you and your loved ones stay safe and healthy.
Your friends at Morgenthal Frederics