ASK A PROFESSIONAL: What do you do if your vision is showing its age?

Do you always ask what the daily special is at a restaurant because you can’t see the menu’s tiny print?

Is finding an address a traffic hazard because you can’t see the house numbers from the street?

You may need to join the 150 million Americans who use corrective eyewear, especially if you’re over the age of 40.

May is Healthy Vision Month and eye health professionals are encouraging everyone to put an eye exam on their to-do list.

Dr. Kathleen Ammel, O.D., Ammel Optometry, 2101 S. Princeton St., recommends an annual eye exam even if you don’t notice a change in your vision.

“A lot of eye diseases are silent,” she said. “Glaucoma and cataracts are the most commonly thought of, but the eyes are a window into the rest of the body and we’re often the first to see the signs of diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.”

If Ammel suspects a lurking physical aliment as the cause of a change in vision, she usually sends a letter to the patient’s primary care doctor sharing her findings and concerns.

“It’s another tool for the medical doctor to use in total body care,” she said.

If your 20/20 vision followed you into middle age, you’re one of the lucky ones. There’s also a good chance you were one of the ones who listened to your mother when she told you carrots, mangos and green leafy vegetables were good for you.

“Research does suggest that certain foods are good for your eyes,” Ammel said. “Antioxidants may reduce your risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. Vitamin C may help prevent or alleviate glaucoma; Vitamin A is said to protect against blindness and Omega 3 oil is helpful for dry eyes.

“I often times just suggest taking a good multi-vitamin like Centrum Silver.”

For those who prefer to get their eye nutrition the old-fashioned way, try liver, carrots and sweet potatoes for the Vitamin A.

Vitamin C is abundant in broccoli, oranges and cantaloupe.

Fatty acids are found in cold-water fish like salmon, mackerel and trout. In general, you should have two servings of fish per week, along with plenty of green leafy vegetables, some nuts and yellow or orange fruits and vegetables.

Something our mothers probably didn’t tell us was that sunglasses are more than a fashion statement. Their real purpose is to protect our eyes from harmful rays produced by the sun.

UVB rays are the ones that burn our skin and can damage the eyes. UVA rays are absorbed within the lens of the human eye. There are currently no documented disorders of the eye from UVA.

Sunglass standards for limits on lenses are to protect eyes from UVB and UVA rays, but both standards and labeling are voluntary by manufacturers, not mandatory.  Keeping that in mind, it’s important to look for sunglasses that provide at least 98-percent protection from both UVA and UVB rays.

For more protection on blindingly sunny days, a visor worn in conjunction with your sunglasses will provide even more shade for your eyes.

Vision health can’t start too early in life as far as Ammel is concerned. She offers a free vision screening for infants from 6 months to 12 months.

“It’s a tracking and basic vision exam,” she said. “Then I recommend a first regular exam at 3 years; another at age 5, right before going into kindergarten. After that, everyone needs an annual eye exam.”

Ammel said the best part of her job is explaining to people what’s going on with their vision and how she’s going to fix it.

“It’s fun to explore the options,” she said. “Like wearing contact lenses; some people just don’t’ think they can wear them. Then we give them the options, and it’s like opening up a whole new world for them.”

Linda Brown is marketing director for The Ottawa Herald. E-mail her at lbrown@ottawaherald.com.