Tips for Improving and Maintaining Eye Health

Think of sweeping mountain vistas, undulating green hills with long grass swaying in the wind, ruminating cityscapes glowing softly under a canopy of sprawling stars and black skies.

These are all beautiful scenes that we take for granted. That is, until you realize that everything is starting to look slightly blurry, or that you can’t quite make out the road sign displaying the current speed limit of the road you’re driving on. Your eyes are responsible for some of the most important vital sensory input, and, like all parts of the body, they deteriorate over time.

Human eye; image source: pexels.com

On a large enough time scale there’s not much we can do about it, however, there is a large body of practical advice which you can utilize to ensure that your eyes remain as healthy as they can be.

Make sure you’re eating well

Healthy eating makes for healthy eyes. Someone’s grandfather may or may not have said that but the advice is true nonetheless. Certain foods promote better eye health, help with blood circulation, prevent light damage as well as dryness and irritation.

Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale are thought to help delay the onset of cataracts, while foods full of Omega-3 – oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and tuna – will help maintain your eyes into old age.

Wear sunglasses when outside

While everybody loves being outside in the sunlight it’s worth noting that the ultraviolet (UV) rays that the sun gives off can be damaging to your eyesight, and an excess of UV exposure increases the risk of cataracts as well as macular degeneration. As a rule of thumb it’s always a good idea to wear sunglasses when heading outside when the sun’s bright, even in winter.

Image source: pexels.com

Make sure you get a pair that blocks 100% of both UVA and UVB rays and if you want to reduce glare, make sure your glasses contain polarized lenses (these don’t substitute for UV protection, however). The only problem you might have is deciding on a reliable brand that conforms to your tastes.

Fret not, online sites such as Edel Optics allow you to browse an entire catalog of different brands, meaning you’ll definitely find a pair of sunnies that check all your boxes.

Quit smoking

Shocker – cigarettes are bad for you. But what might be less well known is that while cigarettes are terrible for your lungs, mouth, throat, body and fingernails, they’re also hazardous to your eyes.

There’s research that links smoking to cataract development, optic nerve damage as well as age-related macular degeneration, all of which are precursors to blindness. So if you’re serious about keeping your peepers on top form, you’ll kick the smoking habit.

Take a break from the screens

Staring at a computer screen or mobile device too long can cause eye strain, blurry vision, dry eyes, headaches as well as neck and shoulder pain.

While computer glasses are certainly an option to help relieve this, resting your eyes every twenty minutes or so as well as intermittently focusing on objects further away than your screen and take regular breaks away from your screen are all low tech and effective ways of relieving eye strain caused by excessive screen usage.

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