5 Healthy Vision Tips to Take Care of Your Eyes

You rely on your vision almost every moment throughout the day. It is easy to take good vision for granted, but without healthy eyes, you might be surprised at how complicated daily life can get!

Living Water Community Health & Wellness Clinic (known as Living Water Clinic) wants to prove that you can count on our doctors to provide expert optometry care and support. Our team, under the direct leadership of Dr. Erick Madrigal, is here to help if you begin experiencing trouble with your eyes or vision. 

Here are some tips we recommend for taking the best possible care of your eyes and, in turn, are aimed at preserving your eye health and vision. 

1. Get regular optometry checkups

Our doctors at Living Water Clinic check your eye health and look for potential problems. If any issues are detected, we use testing to confirm a diagnosis and will get you started with helpful treatments or other interventions as needed. We can also recommend preventive care strategies for you to take care of your eyes.

2. Change your diet

The food you eat makes a big difference when it comes to your eye health. Over time, your eyes can start to suffer from problems like cataracts or macular degeneration. Vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, lutein, and omega-3 fatty acids provide the nutrients your eyes need to stay healthy and will keep your vision sharp as you get older. 

To support your eye health, make sure to eat plenty of leafy greens and oily fish that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Also, incorporate more meat alternative proteins such as eggs, nuts, beans, and citrus fruits or juices.

3. Quit smoking

Smoking tobacco can harm your long-term eye health and vision in several ways which makes quitting smoking one of the best things you can do to protect your vision over time. While quitting smoking can be a challenge, the family medicine team at Living Water Clinic can offer suggestions and strategies to get you through your quitting attempt successfully and with minimal stress.

4. Protect your eyes from debris and impacts

Some situations put your eyes at risk from debris in the air. If you are doing intensive yardwork, for example, or if you work in a job where your eyes could be at risk, using protective equipment like safety goggles is a must.

Impact sports are another high-risk situation for your eyes. Use a helmet and/or protective eyewear as needed to guard your eyes while you are performing such activities. This will give you a better chance of avoiding eye injury or damage.

5. Remember to rest your eyes

Stressors like sunlight and the glare of computer screens can leave your eyes aching and feeling worn. Too much exposure to the ultraviolet (UV) rays in sunlight can result in eye problems down the road.

Acknowledge the need to rest your eyes. Use sunglasses to reduce UV exposure when you are in direct sunlight. If you are spending a lot of time in front of a screen, do what you can do to reduce glare,or try to rest your eyes every 20 minutes by looking away from the screen.

With the support of the optometry experts at Living Water Clinic, you can keep your eyes in good shape for years to come. Contact our family practice online or over the phone today — we have locations in Porterville, Lindsay, and Visalia, California — to schedule an optometry appointment.

Our loving and distinguished Optometrist - Dr. Ranjeet Bajwa

Dr. Ranjeet Bajwa has been serving as an Optometrist at our sister Clinic, Clinica Agua Viva in Lindsay, California, since December 2021. Dr. Bajwa’s journey with eye care started while he was attending junior high school. This is when he realized that he needed glasses to correct his astigmatism. From there his interest in healthcare, more specifically, eye care, began to grow. Dr. Bajwa started his educational journey in his hometown of Porterville where he graduated from Monache High School. After graduating from high school he started his undergraduate career at UC Davis where he received a degree in English. While attending college, he had a chance to shadow a number of healthcare professionals and found himself drawn back to his early interest in the specialty of eye care. While completing additional schoolwork at UC Santa Barbara and studying for entrance examinations for medical and optometry school, Dr. Bajwa was accepted to Southern California College of Optometry at Marshall B. Ketchum University.

After finishing his educational journey, Dr. Bajwawas selected for a 1-year post-graduate residency in primary eye care and ocular disease at the Crownpoint Indian Health Hospital in New Mexico. There he served members of the Navajo Nation. The memorable experience gave him the opportunity to sharpen his clinical skills while being surrounded by the natural beauty of the American Southwest high-desert landscape. 

By personally experiencing a need for eye care at a young age and pairing that with the practical knowledge he gained in the professional industry, Dr. Bajwa is passionate about providing world-class eye care to patients with similar needs. He is excited to bring his skills back to the area and to help grow the services offered by Clinica Agua Viva. Dr. Bajwa is also currently working with two other clinics in three other locations (Bakersfield, Tehachapi, and Ventura), as well as speaking engagements where he educates his peers to help them stay up-to-practice in modern eye care. 

Dr. Bajwa enjoys being able to have a positive impact on the daily lives of patients and he hopes to help them for the remainder of their lives. He recommends that annual comprehensive eye exams are a must, and firmly believes annual vision exams help catch early signs of systemic disease. 

Dr. Bajwa has been located at our sister clinic, Clinica Agua Viva in Lindsay, California. Dr. Bajwa serves new and existing patients about every third Thursday of the month from 8:00am-2:30pm. Clinica Agua Viva also accepts Medi-Cal and Medicare insurance. Call (559)-562-1361 to book your appointment with Dr. Bajwa!