Your eyes do not rest from morning till night – from reading screens, to searching traffic lights, to adjusting to the light – but we do not usually think about caring for our eyes until we run into some problems with them. Luckily, a few easy-to-follow tips will be enough to keep your vision healthy for many years ahead.
1. Take In Essential Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamins A, C, and E, as well as zinc, contain a large number of antioxidants that protect your eyes from macular degeneration, which causes your eye to lose its ability to see clearly due to deterioration of the eye area associated with clear vision. Vegetables of different colors (carrots, red peppers, broccoli, spinach), berries (strawberries), root crops (sweet potatoes), fruits (citrus), and fatty fish (salmon and flaxseed) will provide you with the necessary amount of those vitamins and minerals.
2. Never Ignore Carotenoids
Carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin are the components that protect your eyes from harmful rays. They are located directly in your retina, providing protection from ultraviolet and blue light and increasing pigment density in your macula. Those nutrients are abundant in leafy greens, broccoli, zucchini, and eggs.
3. Be Active and Maintain a Healthy Weight
In addition to keeping your figure in check, exercise will benefit your eyes by reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Having this disease may cause diabetic retinopathy that involves blood sugar elevation and subsequent damage to blood vessels of the retina. Frequent glucose measurement and exercise can prevent the risk of developing diabetes-related eye problems.
4. Control Chronic Diseases
Type 2 diabetes is not the only chronic disease that can negatively impact the health of your eyes. Hypertension, multiple sclerosis, and some other illnesses can pose a risk to the eyesight, typically due to inflammation of the optic nerve caused by those diseases. Maintaining a proper diet, exercise routine, and medication regimen can ensure that your vision stays intact.
5. Wear Eye Protection
Gardening, engaging in sports activities, and working with various tools should be done wearing appropriate eye protection, which is not commonly understood by people. Splinters, chemicals, and small objects that can get into the eye can damage it seriously. You should use goggles made of polycarbonate, which is much stronger than regular plastic.
6. Never Forget Your Sunglasses
The reason why you should be wearing sunglasses is not only for completing the look; but also protecting your eyes from UVA and UVB rays that can cause cataracts, macular degeneration, among many other sun-related problems to your eyes. Make sure you have a pair of sunglasses that blocks 99 to 100 percent of UV rays, and also wear a wide-brimmed hat along with them.
7. Follow the 20-20-20 Rule
When we work or use our computer for long hours, then our eyes become too tired because of excessive strain. We can give a relief to our eyes with the help of following the 20-20-20 rule; which means every 20 minutes looking at something around 20 feet away from us for about 20 seconds.
8. Stop Smoking
There are many ill effects of smoking on the body, including increased risks of cataracts and macular degeneration. The good thing is that when you stop smoking your body starts recovering itself from all the harm you did to it.
9. Be Aware of the Eye Health History of Your Family
Eye problems such as glaucoma, retinal degeneration, macular degeneration, and optic atrophy may be hereditary. It will be beneficial for you to know about the history of eye diseases in your family since this information can help you spot possible issues before they develop.
10. Wash Your Hands and Contacts Regularly
It might not seem necessary, but your eyes are quite vulnerable to diseases caused by bacteria, which is why hygiene is very important when it comes to caring about them. Always wash your hands prior to touching your eyes or handling contact lenses, and strictly adhere to your lens washing regimen, as a bacterial overload is a frequent reason for eye problems.
11. Drink Lots of Water
In addition to making you feel fatigued, dehydration also causes the deficiency in tears, resulting in irritated eyes. Enough fluid intake during the day is a great way of maintaining proper lubrication of your eyes.
12. Sleep Well and Get Rest
Even your eyes need a break from time to time. Lack of sleep may result in eye strain, eye twitching, and dry eyes, while chronic lack of sleep is associated with the increased risk of such eye diseases as glaucoma. 7-9 hours of sleep per night will give your eyes an opportunity to relax and recover.
The Bottom Line
Good eyesight doesn't only depend on regular eye checkups; it depends on your general life style. Proper diet, exercise, sun protection, management of any chronic disease you might have, and enough sleep are all the things that help maintain good eyesight in the long run. While none of those practices will guarantee you perfect eyesight for life, they significantly reduce the risks of any eye-related problems.
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