Your eyes are one of the most important organs of your body. Your development as a person and your reaction to different situations will depend on the things you’ve seen in the past. Having said that, it’ll be challenging for you to function as an individual if you have poor eyesight.
Your eye health can affect the quality of your life, which is why you should exert time and effort in taking care of it. Contrary to popular belief, this process isn’t expensive because making small lifestyle changes will go a long way for you to maintain or improve your eye health.
Listed below are methods for you to better take care of your eyesight:
1. Regularly Visit An Ophthalmologist
Taking care of your eyes is actually an easy task because you can always ask the help of a professional to help you out. An ophthalmologist is a professional who spent years learning the ins and outs of the diagnosis and treatment of different eye disorders. When you regularly visit one, your eye health will be properly assessed, and you will immediately determine if you have any underlying health issues.
An ophthalmologist can also assess your current lifestyle and determine if any of these are actually harming your eyes. For example, an ophthalmologist will inform you of the bad habits (which you’re likely doing) that are actually harmful to your eyes. You might think that misusing makeup or not eating a balanced diet might be harmless to your eyes, but your ophthalmologist will educate you that these practices will eventually take a toll on your eye health.
2. Always Wear Sunglasses
Aside from being a great fashion statement, it’s important to wear sunglasses when you spend time outdoors, as these can effectively protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. Wearing sunglasses can help reduce the risk of you developing cataracts and macular degeneration that are often caused by the sun’s UV rays.
If you want to experience these benefits, pay attention to the properties of the sunglasses. Ideally, you should buy a pair that blocks 99% to 1000% of ultraviolet rays. Moreover, it’s best if you also find a pair that comes with wraparound lenses as these can protect your eyes from the side, and polarized lenses as these can reduce glare while you drive.
3. Eat Well
The quality of your diet can significantly affect your eye health. Regularly eating food that are high in sugar and saturated fat can increase your risk of countless eye diseases, such as cataracts, color blindness, diabetic macular edema, glaucoma, and ocular hypertension. If you don’t want to suffer from any of these eye diseases, start making changes to your diet, and pay attention to the food that you eat.
Listed below are some food that are known to improve or maintain your eye health:
- Fish: Tuna, salmon, sardines, and mackerel are very healthy for your eyes as these contain high levels of omega-3 fish oil. According to studies, fish oil can effectively reverse the symptoms of dry eye.
- Nuts and legumes: Instead of snacking on junk food, consume nuts and legumes instead. Aside from being healthy snacks, nuts and legumes are packed with vitamin E that can protect the eyes from different age-related diseases.
- Citrus fruits: Grapefruits, lemons, and oranges should be a must in your diet if you want to enjoy better eyesight. These fruits contain vitamin C and antioxidants that can fight age-related eye damage.
- Leafy green vegetables: Eating leafy green vegetables is important for your overall health and wellness, but are you aware that these also play an important role in your eye health? Leafy green vegetables, such as collards, kale, and spinach, contain lutein and zeaxanthin that are essential for your eyes to function continuously well.
- Carrots: Carrot is another vegetable that should be included in your diet as this contains high levels of vitamin A and beta carotene. These nutrients are considered as building blocks to your vision as these can help the retina absorb light.
4. Avoid Rubbing Your Eyes
It’s common for people to rub their eyes whenever they feel pain and discomfort. Although satisfying to some, you should actually avoid rubbing your eyes as this habit can be very harmful to your eyes.
You will use your hands to accomplish all of your tasks during the day, which means that it is exposed to a lot of bacteria, dust, dirt, and other debris that are too small for the naked eye to see. When you rub your eyes, all of these will be transferred to your eyes and may cause severe redness and irritation.
If rubbing your eyes is already innate to you, exert time and effort to get rid of the habit as soon as possible. Whenever your eyes feel itchy, apply a warm compress over your eyes.
5. Observe The 20-20-20 Rule
Smartphones and other devices are taking over the world today. Regardless of your daily routine and scope of your tasks, you can easily access an app and software through different devices to help you out. However, heavily relying on digital screens can be very harmful to your eyes. Digital screens give off harmful radiation that can cause eye damage, such as cataracts.
For you to maximize technology without putting your eye health at risk, regularly observe the 20-20-20 rule:
- For every twenty minutes, look away from your digital screen and fix your gaze on any object that’s located twenty feet away from you
- Blink for twenty successive times in order to prevent eye dryness
- For every twenty minutes of working in front of your computer, get out of your seat, and take twenty steps. This can promote proper blood circulation, which helps your eyes to function properly.
Start ASAP
Regardless of how clear you think your vision is today, never disregard the importance of taking care of your eyes. Eye conditions can develop anytime, and, in some cases, these do not come with any visible symptoms. More often than not, you will only notice that you are suffering from a specific eye condition if the problem is already in its worst state.
Make sure that this doesn’t happen to you by changing your lifestyle based on the tips mentioned in this article. The sooner you pay attention to your eye health, the longer you can enjoy 20/20 vision!
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