It may be a cloudy day in the dead of winter, but the reflection of the sun’s ultraviolet light from snow and ice can still damage your eyes. When buying sunglasses, make sure to find those that filter 100 percent of UV rays and are shaped so they protect the sides of your eyes.

If You’re Expecting…

When you’re pregnant, changes in hormone levels can affect your vision and the strength you need in your eyeglasses or contact lenses. The change will be modest and short-lived, says M. Bowes Hamill, M.D., an associate professor of ophthalmology at Baylor College of Medicine, so wait a few weeks after your baby is born before deciding whether you really need a new prescription.

Prevent Pinkeye

The pesky microbes that cause conjunctivitis (also known as pinkeye) are usually carried there by your hands. To avoid infections:
• Use only a clean cloth to rub itchy eyes.
• Wash your hands after contact with someone who has a cold or pinkeye.
• Don’t share makeup or eyedrops.
• Throw out mascara after three months, when bacteria begins to build up.
• Don’t touch the tip of an eyedrop bottle to your eye or hand.

Watch Your Diet

Scientists at the Laboratory for Nutrition and Vision Research at Tufts University have recently uncovered a link between a diet that includes a lot of refined carbohydrates (think French fries and white bread) and macular degeneration, a severe deterioration in vision. Stick to whole grains, fruits and veggies for your eyes’ sake!

Contact Information

As convenient as contacts are, they require special effort. Always clean your lenses according to directions and never wet them by putting them in your mouth, which is teeming with bacteria. Avoid sleeping in them; it “increases your risk of developing an infection 25-fold,” says Dr. Hamill.

Watch Those Splashes!

Mishaps with common household products cause 125,000 eye injuries every year. That’s why experts recommend wearing protective glasses when you’re doing chores like mopping up with bleach or ammonia products, cleaning the oven with oven cleaner or other pressurized solvents, painting the walls of your house or clearing stopped-up drains with lye-based solutions. You can buy wraparound safety glasses at most hardware stores for $3 to $11.

Timing Is Everything

How often do you need a complete eye exam?

If you're: 20 to 39
Get checked: Every 3 to 5 years

If you're: 40 to 64
Get checked: Every 2 to 4 years

If you're: 65 or older
Get checked: Every 1 to 2 years

People with diabetes or a family history of glaucoma may need exams more frequently.

Stuff Gets in Your Eye

Those ghostly specks that pop up in your field of vision are called floaters, and they usually appear when you’re looking at a plain background, such as a blank wall or blue sky. The cause? Small clumps of harmless gel that accumulate in the eye. Floaters are harmless, but if you suddenly see 20 or 30 of them, call your doctor immediately.
That annoying flutter in your eyelid — it’s known as a blepharospasm — is probably caused by fatigue, stress or caffeine. Gently massaging the eyelid can sometimes stop it. Even if that doesn’t work, take heart: Most twitches disappear after a few days. Those that don’t can be treated with an injection of a mild anesthetic or Botox.