Almost everyone will experience some eye trouble at one time or another. For example, your eyes might feel strained, dry, bloodshot, or itchy. Make sure to see your eye care professional for any problems that last more than a day or two.

There are several things you can do each day to maintain eye health and avoid problems. Drink eight to ten glasses of water to keep your body and eyes hydrated. Make a conscious effort to stop periodically to rest and blink frequently – especially when reading, working on a computer, or watching television. Avoid rubbing your eyes. And remember to always protect your eyes from the sun's harmful UV light and glare with protective lenses.

Minor Eye Irritation
(May include sand, dirt, or other foreign body on the eye's surface.)
Wash your hands and then flush the eye with lukewarm water for up to 15 minutes. If the object remains embedded, seek professional medical help immediately.

Conjunctivitis (Pinkeye)
Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, or clear membrane covering the white part of the eye and lining of the eyelids. It is a fairly common condition that usually poses no long-term danger to you or your child's vision. Call or see your doctor for prescription antibiotic eye drops or ointment to treat pinkeye.

Dry Eye Syndrome
Itching, burning, and irritation of the eyes, sometimes called "dry eye syndrome," is one of the most common problems treated by eye physicians. It is usually caused by the quality of the tears that lubricate our eyes. As we age, our bodies produce less oil to seal the eyes' watery layer. Hot, arid climates, air conditioning, certain medicines, and irritants such as cigarette smoke can all affect dryness. Your eye doctor might prescribe "artificial tears" or other eye drops to help alleviate the problem.

Floaters and Spots
Ever notice a small speck moving in your field of vision? It's called a floater, and it's a tiny clump of gel or cells in the vitreous, the clear, jelly-like fluid inside your eye. Aging, eye injury, and breakdown of the vitreous are the main causes of floaters. If you notice a sudden increase in the number of spots you see, call your eye care professional.

Cataracts
When we hear the word "cataract" we might think of a film on someone's eyes that causes double or blurred vision. But a cataract does not form on our eye, but rather within our eye.

A cataract is a clouding of the lens of our eye that makes it hard to see. In a normal eye, the lens is almost transparent and can change shape to focus objects at different distances from the eye. When the lens loses its flexibility and becomes "opaque," we call it a cataract.

Cataract formation has been linked to overexposure over a long period of time to ultraviolet (UV) light. Many older people develop cataracts, but they can be treated with a safe and simple surgical procedure performed by a special eye doctor called an ophthalmologist.

Have you ever opened your eyes underwater? People with cataracts say it's like looking through water. In fact, the word "cataract" means waterfall.



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