You want to treat your body well. You should watch your weight, not pick up bad habits, try to be an active person, avoid things you know are bad for you, and wear protective gear when you are doing something that warrants it. One of the areas of your health you want to make sure you are on top of is your eyesight. You may have been taking your healthy eyes for granted up to this point, but from now on you'll want to put a little more effort into keeping them as healthy as possible. Here are some great things to know about your eyes and good eye care:

Eye exams do more than just check your vision – You may put off your next eye exam when you really feel that nothing has changed with your vision. However, eye changes can be so slow that you won't notice you aren't seeing as well as you used to. Besides, eye exams do more than check vision; they allow the optometrist to get an up close view of the inside of your eyes, where they can catch new problems early on. It's always going to be best to catch issues early. Not only can this make treatment more affordable, but it can also make it less invasive and more successful in many cases.

Sun protection is also important for your eyes – If you are like most people, you do your best to make sure you protect your skin from the sun's rays when you know you are going to be spending a good period of the day outside. You'll use lotions or sprays on all the areas where you don't want the sun to hit your unprotected skin. However, you do all of this without giving a second thought to the condition of your eyes, and they can also be damaged from those rays. This is why you should have your prescription glasses fitted with transition lenses that contain UV filters. The lenses will become lighter inside, so you can see clearly. However, they will darken when you go in the sun, so you will feel like you are wearing sunglasses. If you don't wear prescription glasses, you want the sunglasses you do wear to have UV protection. Good glasses will help to protect your retina, help to prevent cataract growth, and protect the very soft skin around your eyes.

Stop smoking cigarettes – There is an extensive list of why you should stop smoking cigarettes. Just one of the many reasons has to do with the health and well-being of your eyes. Smoking tobacco can contribute to the development of cataracts. It can also contribute to other eye problems, with one of them being macular degeneration. Plus, it can make your eyes feel dry and irritated to the point where you feel you need to rub them. You should avoid rubbing them, since this increases your risk of scratching your cornea.

Don't skip your eye exams – Your optometrist will let you know the schedule they would like you to follow with regards to coming in for your eye exams. You want to be sure you follow their recommendations. This is going to be your first line of defense against finding yourself dealing with issues that have become worse because they weren't caught in time.