By Nathan Fligelman

January is the month during which National Eye Care and National Glaucoma Awareness is observed. Your eyes serve as a pair of critical organs which, through conveying the action of sight, are giving you the opportunity to see and further read this very article!

Due to their heightened level of importance, as well as their relative sensitivity to damage and irritation, it’s crucial that you take care of your eyes on a daily and consistent basis. To ‘observe’ this month, learn and spread awareness of safe practices regarding the eye, visit an optometrist/ophthalmologist, and ensure that your eyes get the proper rest that they require.

Get an eye check-up

In order to help spread awareness for this month, many eye-health clinics and hospitals offer discounts for annual checkups held during January. But it’s important to care for your eyes year-round, not just in January! During a checkup, a licensed professional will correct any vision loss and scan your eyes for potential symptoms of deterioration/illness. Early detection of potentially serious eye-health issues is of the utmost importance.

Glaucoma scans can save your sight

Glaucoma scans are an important of most eye exams. About three million Americans have been diagnosed glaucoma, a potentially genetic disease known for being a “sneak thief of sight.” Glaucoma attacks the optic nerve of the eye (by the force of pressure) in a chronic and progressive manner. This disease is partly dangerous because over a third of a person’s vision may be lost as a result of the damage before they even notice that it is gone. Glaucoma, thus, is the second-leading cause of blindness across the world. While modern medical advances have improved Glaucoma treatment, it is still extremely important for everyone to be tested for this condition on a consistent and early basis.

Update your prescriptions

On a more general note, it is also important to visit an eye doctor for yearly (at least) general checkups in order to ensure that your vision is proper. Many people wear glasses and contacts to help them see in a much more proficient and comfortable fashion. Generally, a person’s vision tends to deteriorate as they get older; hence, there is a continuous need for follow-up appointments and potential prescription revisions/new lens provisions.

Overall, it is critical to take care of your eyes; ‘eye’ highly recommend that you preemptively schedule your next care appointment in the near future!

Fun eye facts

• Opticians help to correct vision problems through fitting the lenses of glasses/contacts. Optometrists perform preliminary eye exams and vision tests, as well as can prescribe medications. Ophthalmologists continue upon the work of optometrists, as well as additionally perform procedures.

• The world’s most common eye color is brown.

• Ancient sunglasses existed as far back as 20 centuries ago!

• The average human eye blinks over 4 million times throughout the duration of a year.