Welcome to 2010! So long, 2009 - you are so last year! May 2010 bring you better things that 2009 lacked! This is a new year! How will you be trying to improve yourself? Many people make resolutions for the new year. Common resolutions are to lose weight, become more active, learn to cook, quit smoking...etc. What about taking care of your eye sight? Have you been kind to your eyes lately? When was the last time you bought a new pair of eyeglasses? Was it past two years ago? It is time for a new pair!

Was your resolution to be more daring? Well, you do not need to jump out of an airplane or go bungee jumping to check "be more daring" off your list! If you are like millions of Americans who wear prescription glasses, you might be stuck in a "glasses rut" - wearing the same style of frames for longer than five years. YIKES! It's time to go for something a little less ordinary. Do you always wear silver metal frames? Try a pair of plastic full-framed glasses! Do you always stick to black? Maybe try a pair of glasses in blue, green, or burgundy!

While losing weight is great for your health - especially by decreasing your chances of being diagnosed with type II diabetes - what have you done for your eye health lately? Are you always wearing contact lenses? When was the last time you spent two days wearing your eyeglass frames? Now is the time to make the switch! Wearing eyeglasses for 24 to 48 hours instead of wearing your contact lenses can help keep your eyes healthy and focused, not to mention moist and refreshed instead of itchy and dry.

Was your goal to stop smoking? We support you on that! Smoking has horrible effects on the eyes. The smoke can make your eyes dry, itchy, and irritated. Also, when you are constantly around smoke, the whites of your eyeball - also known as the sclera -can easily start turning yellow... just like your teeth. Your eyes can also turn red and scratchy. For those reasons, we support your quest in quitting the nasty habit! For the sake of your vision, stop smoking in 2010!

If this is the year you are going to take charge of your health, we salute you! Especially if your first trip is to the eye doctor. Even if it is the second trip on your list, we still support you! If your last trip to the optometrist was more than two years ago, it is time for a check up! Most eye doctors will write a prescription for glasses or contacts for every two years, however, some write the prescription for no more than a year validity. When was the last time you had your eyes checked?

It is a new year and time for a new you... a better you! Let 2010 be the year that you took your vision health seriously! The more active you are in keeping your eyes healthy, the healthier they will be! Be good to your eyes - they've been good to you!