Lauren's List: Tips For Protecting Your Eyes On National Sunglasses Day

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - It's National Sunglasses Day and while you may choose your frames based on style, their purpose is ultimately for safety!

It's critical to protect your eyes, so today's "Lauren's List" has some tips for keeping them in tip-top shape.

Wear Sunglasses
In honor of today, we'll start with the most obvious way to protect your peepers - wearing glasses, or protective eyewear of any kind really. The right pair of shades will help protect your eyes from the sun's ultraviolet rays. Too much UV exposure boosts your chances of cataracts and macular degeneration. Choose a pair that blocks 99% to 100% of UVA and UVB rays.

Eat for Your Eyes
Nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zinc, and vitamins C and E might help fight off age-related vision problems. Good sources of these nutrients include spinach, kale and collards, salmon, tuna and other oily fish, eggs, nuts, and beans.

Get Regular Check-Ups
Everyone needs to be getting regular eye exams, even young children, whether you wear glasses or not! Eye exams can also find diseases, like glaucoma, that have no symptoms. It's important to spot them early on when they're easier to treat.

Step Away From the Screen
The average American worker spends 7 hours a day in front of a computer screen, not including the amount of time we spend staring at our phones or reading books on devices. If you've ever stared at a screen for a long period of time, you may experience things like blurry vision, dry eyes, trouble focusing at a distance and headaches. To keep your vision in good working order, the American Optometric Association recommends adhering to the 20-20-20 rule: Take a 20-second break to view something 20 feet away every 20 minutes.

Do you follow these tips?

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If you have an idea for a future "Lauren's List", send it to lpastrana@cbs.com.