Protecting your eyes and taking care of them is a must. All the best eye-care tips are mentioned here, from eating well to regular eye doctor visits.
We know the importance of eating well and exercising to keep our body fit. But what about our eyes? What do we do to keep them healthy? The eyes provide one of the five senses. They give us a vision and a sense of knowing. It is essential to look after them.
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Eat Well
Eating well is not only beneficial for your body but also your eyes. Good health starts with a good, balanced diet. Eating food rich in omega-3 fatty acid, zinc, lutein, vitamin C, and vitamin E keep the age-related eye problem under check. There are several foods rich in these nutrients. Whether it is green leafy vegetables or citrus fruits like oranges, incorporate them into your diet. Fish like salmon and tuna are also great for fighting age-related eye problems. Along with these, you can also eat nuts, beans, and eggs. Pork, too, is very rich in omega-3 fatty acid.
Excess intake of alcohol and saturated fats and low intake of antioxidants causes free-radical reactions that can be harmful to the macula.
A balanced diet keeps diabetes-related problems at arm’s length distance. Diabetes can even lead to blindness in adults.
Quit Smoking
Smoking has innumerable health disadvantages. It is a myth that smoking helps with stress. Similarly, smoking is terrible for your eyes as it causes severe problems like damage to optic nerves, cataracts, and even macular degeneration. These are just a few vision-related problems caused by smoking. It is best to stop smoking. Do not despair. You can get help from doctors and even therapists.
Wear Sunglasses
It is essential to protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful UV (ultraviolet) rays. Too much exposure to UV rays can increase your chances of cataracts and even macular degeneration. It is best to wear glasses that prevent 100% of UV rays. You can protect your eyes from the side by using wraparound lenses. Polarized lenses are known to reduce the glare, but they do not offer protection from the rays.
Many contact lenses have protection from UV rays. It is best to wear those if you require contacts. Pairing the contacts with sunglasses is a good precaution. After all, it is better to be safe than sorry.
Wear Safety Eyewear
It is dangerous to use airborne materials or hazardous materials to your eyes without safety goggles or other safety eyewear. If your work involves the use of lasers or other similar heavy machinery, please wear safety eyewear. Permanent damage can be caused without them.
Sports like lacrosse, cricket, ice-hockey, and racquetball can also cause damage or injury to your eyes. Wear helmets with a protective face mask or sports goggles with polycarbonate lenses to keep your eyes safe.
Reduce Screen Time
Continuously staring at the screen of electronic devices such as computers, TVs, and phones is very harmful to the eyes. It strains the eyes, results in blurry vision, and causes trouble focusing at a distance. Moreover, it leads to eyes becoming dry, headaches, and other pain such as neck, back, and shoulder pain.
To avoid all this inconvenience, make sure that your glasses or contacts’ prescription is the latest. Hence, get your eyes checked regularly and wear the right number. If you are suffering from chronic eye strain, talk to your doctor for special computer glasses. It is a good idea to use an anti-glare screen for your electronic devices to protect your eyes from continuous glare. Along with that, sit on a comfortable chair with a proper posture. If your eyes get dry, blink several times. Eye drops help too.
Do not sit for a long period with your computer or phone. Take a 20-minute break in between. Try to get up every two hours to take a break. You can close your eyes, take a nap, or do a few eye exercises.
Visit an Eye Doctor Regularly
It is a good practice to go and visit your eye doctor regularly. Whether you are an adolescent or a kid, or a senior citizen, it does not matter. Everyone should visit their eye doctor regularly. Eye exams help to determine if you have any eye disease. They can even spot diseases that have no symptoms, such as glaucoma.
Regular eye exams help find these diseases at an early stage when it is easier to treat. There are two types of eye doctors: ophthalmologists and optometrists. An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who has its specialization in eye care. They can provide basic eye care and treat eye diseases and perform surgeries on the eyes. An optometrist gets four years of specialized training after college is finished. They can provide basic eye care and treat eye diseases but cannot perform surgeries on the eyes.
Usually, an eye exam consists of you and your family’s medical history, vision tests, and tests that check exactly how well both your eyes work together. In addition to all this, some tests check eye pressure and are related to the optic nerves to check if you have glaucoma. There are a few other tests too. You can get more tests done according to your need.
These are the best and most effective ways to look after your eyes. Do not give slack when it comes to your eyes. Take care of your eyes and vision.
