Holidays are usually wrapped up in finding the perfect gifts for others. Okay, maybe you slip in a small gift for yourself every now and again (we won’t tell Santa). But this year, why not go all out and really commit to giving yourself one of the best gifts ever? The gift of your sight. This isn’t about new eyeglass frames — although it could be — it’s more about taking the time t to take care of yourself.

Comprehensive Eye Exams

The first place to start? Getting a comprehensive eye exam. This starts with reading from the eye charts to see “which one is better? One or two?” and checking your overall vision with the technician. The next part of the exam, however, delves deeper into your eye health, checking for various eye diseases like glaucoma, conditions like astigmatism or cataracts, and can often uncover other issues like diabetes and high cholesterol that will need to be investigated by your primary care physician.

Taking Care of Yourself

It’s no secret that a big part of taking care of yourself is eating right and eating specifically for your eye health. There are key vitamins and nutrients that can help to lower your risk of cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and glaucoma, as well as strengthen your vision. Essentially, you are what you eat! In addition to consuming eye-healthy foods, exercise plays a big role in helping your eyesight as well because it increases blood flow around the body and to your eyes, which helps to maintain healthy vision.

Protecting Yourself

And last, but not least, about those eyeglass frames… apart from getting your vision checked, eating right, and exercising, one of the best things you can do to preserve your eyesight is to protect it. That means wearing protective eyewear when playing sports or doing yard work, using equipment like saws, and so on. But also wearing sunglasses or goggles to shade your eyes from the ultraviolet rays from the sun. Give yourself the gift of wonderful vision this year.