8 healthy snack ideas kids will love

The great outdoors beckons billions of people across the globe every day. There's much to be gained from spending time outdoors. According to the American Psychological Association, exposure to nature has been linked to improved attention, lower stress, improvements in mood, and reduced risk of psychiatric disorders. With so much to gain from spending time in the great outdoors, it's no wonder so many people embrace opportunities to get outside. When doing so, it's important that individuals take proper precautions, such as wearing sunscreen and staying hydrated. But it's equally important to protect your eyes before soaking up some springtime and summer sun. • Purchase prescription sunglasses, if necessary. Sunglasses are vital to protecting the eyes from the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays. If you wear prescription eyeglasses indoors, then you should also wear prescription sunglasses when spending time outside. Even contact lens wearers may want to invest in prescription sunglasses for those times when they're engaging in physical activity outdoors. Sweat makes its way into the eyes when exerting oneself outdoors, and that can make contacts uncomfortable. Airborne allergens like pollen also can make contacts less comfortable when outside, and prescription sunglasses can help people avoid such discomfort while protecting the eyes from UV rays. • Wear a hat or visor. Hats and visors also help to protect the eyes from UV rays. The National Eye Institute recommends wearing sunglasses even on cloudy days, but it's easy to forget them when leaving home or the car on an overcast morning or afternoon. Hats or visors can serve as a safety net on cloudy days when you forget to bring your sunglasses. • Avoid rubbing your eyes. Whether it's airborne allergens or debris, things can get into the eyes when spending time outdoors. In such instances, your first instinct might be to rub your eyes. However, University of Utah Health notes that rubbing your eyes can be very dangerous and increase risk for illness. Virus droplets can attach to hands and enter the body through the conjunctiva, a thin layer of tissue that lines the inner eyelid. This can cause infection in the eye. Dust and dirt on relatively clean but unwashed hands also can enter the eyes upon rubbing them, potentially leading to irritation and infection. So it's best to avoid rubbing eyes when they feel irritated and opt for eye cleaners and eyelid wipes instead. • Keep your hands clean. Though it's best to avoid touching your eyes with your hands, doing so is an instinctive response for many people. Frequent hand washing can keep hands free from bacteria and dust that can enter the eyes after they are touched or rubbed. No one knows how clean or dirty surfaces outside their own homes are, and surfaces outside may be particularly dirty or dusty. Frequent hand washing reduces the likelihood that dirt and debris will find its way into your eyes. When the great outdoors beckons, individuals can take various steps to protect their eyes from damage and infection.Regular eye examinations are important components of a personal health regimen. Visiting an eye doctor can alert a person to potential vision impairments, and certain symptoms that show up in the eyes could be indicative of notable health problems. The American Academy of Ophthalmology says everything from brain tumors to aneurysms to high cholesterol can be detected in the eyes.For those who do not have any apparent vision problems, most doctors recommend following a chart based on age. The insurance experts at Aetna suggest the following age-based intervals:-Ages 20 to 39: Every five years-Ages 40 to 54: Every two to four years-Ages 55 to 64: Every one to three years-Ages 65 and up: Every one to two yearsIndividuals who wear glasses or contact lenses, have a family history of eye disease, or have a chronic condition that puts them at risk for eye disease, like diabetes, should get vision exams more frequently.Despite the significance of eye exams, many people do not visit an eye doctor until something is amiss with their vision or eyes. Perhaps individuals would be inclined to visit the eye doctor more frequently if they knew what to expect during an exam. HereÕs what people can expect the next time they step into a private eye doctorÕs office or a vision center, courtesy of The Cleveland Clinic and Warby Parker.-Visual acuity: The eye doctor will ask you to read an eye chart while looking through a device called a phoropter. This device has several lenses that can be adjusted to help you see better and find the right corrective lens prescription.-Visual field: The doctor will check peripheral vision by holding up a finger or an object and moving it gradually to the side of your face. Additional movements may include up and down. Some offices use a computer program to conduct this test.-Automatic refraction: Visual acuity can be measured with this test, during which an autorefractor shines light into the eye and measures the eyeÕs response. ItÕs commonly used with children or adults who may struggle to communicate what theyÕre seeing.-Pupil function: The eye doctor will briefly shine a handheld light into each eye and then move the light away to watch how the pupils constrict and dilate.-Slit lamp exam: This test involves a slit lamp, which is a type of microscope that enables the eye doctor to see the eyes in close detail.-Tonometry measurement: Glaucoma occurs when intraocular pressure is high. Some eye doctors will conduct tests to determine the pressure. One way is with a non-contact tonometry test, which is a puff of air squirted at each eye. With applanation tonometry, the doctor first administers a mild numbing agent to the eye, and then uses a pressure-sensitive instrument to gently tap on the surface of the eye to get a pressure reading. A rebound tonometry test requires a handheld device that makes brief contact to the eye and doesnÕt require local anesthesia.-Pupil dilation: The eye doctor will administer eye drops that dilate the pupils, which enables a better view of the retina, optic nerve, cornea, and surrounding blood vessels during an ophthalmoscopy.-Special photography: The eye doctor may utilize specialized imaging equipment that will take digital images of the eyes to diagnose various retinal, optic nerve and corneal conditions.These are some of the things people may experience during a comprehensive vision exam.