Every May, Healthy Vision Month serves as a national reminder of how essential it is to care for our eyes — not just when problems arise, but every single day. In 2025, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) recommends everyone take simple, proactive steps to safeguard their vision and reduce their risk of eye disease.
Vision Loss Affects Millions
Approximately 37 million adults in the United States are currently living with age-related macular degeneration, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, or glaucoma. These are among the most common causes of visual impairment and blindness, and they often progress silently, without noticeable symptoms in the early stages.
The good news? You can take action to protect your sight. Research shows that making healthy lifestyle choices and getting regular comprehensive eye exams can significantly reduce your risk of vision loss from these conditions.
“An annual eye exam isn’t just about updating your glasses prescription – it’s a vital checkup for your overall eye health. Many serious eye conditions, such as glaucoma and macular degeneration, develop silently. Early detection through routine exams can preserve your vision long term.”
Ashley Ahlbrand, OD, FAAO
What You Can Do to Protect Your Eyes
In support of Healthy Vision Month, the AAO encourages everyone, regardless of age, to follow these simple but powerful tips:
Eat a Healthy Diet
Fuel your body with nutrient-rich foods that support eye health. Leafy greens like spinach and kale, colorful fruits and vegetables, omega-3-rich fish (like salmon), and whole grains are all vision-friendly choices.
Wear Sunglasses
Shield your eyes from harmful UV rays. Choose sunglasses that block 100% of UVA and UVB radiation, your eyes will thank you later.
Stay Active
Regular physical activity helps prevent health conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure, which are closely linked to vision-threatening diseases like diabetic retinopathy and hypertensive retinopathy.
Get Regular Dilated Eye Exams
Many eye diseases begin without warning. A comprehensive, dilated eye exam is the only way to catch early signs of damage, and it can help prevent permanent vision loss. Adults over age 40, people with diabetes, and those with a family history of eye disease should be especially vigilant.
Don’t Smoke
Smoking increases the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and other eye problems. Quitting smoking can improve your overall health and help protect your vision.
Test your eye health IQ
Are you an expert in all the things you can do to protect your eye health? Take the National Eye Institute (NEI) Eye Health Quiz will measure your knowledge!
About WashU Medicine
WashU Medicine is a global leader in academic medicine, including biomedical research, patient care and educational programs with 2,900 faculty. Its National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding portfolio is the second largest among U.S. medical schools and has grown 56% in the last seven years. Together with institutional investment, WashU Medicine commits well over $1 billion annually to basic and clinical research innovation and training. Its faculty practice is consistently within the top five in the country, with more than 1,900 faculty physicians practicing at 130 locations and who are also the medical staffs of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals of BJC HealthCare. WashU Medicine has a storied history in MD/PhD training, recently dedicated $100 million to scholarships and curriculum renewal for its medical students, and is home to top-notch training programs in every medical subspecialty as well as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and audiology and communications sciences.