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Our vision is one of your most treasured senses. Think for a minute of magnificent landscapes, rich colours in nature, the faces of family and friends, and how we navigate with our sight. It’s arguably the sense that we are most dependent upon. So here are six tips to keep your eyes healthy and your vision strong:
1 - You Are What You Eat
One of the best ways to protect your vision is through proper nutrition. As you age, the likelihood of developing an age-related vision problem, such as macular degeneration or cataracts, markedly increases. Getting adequate amounts of Vitamins C and E, as well as zinc, lutein, and plenty of Omega 3 fatty acids, can help to prevent or slow these conditions. Add nutritious and delicious foods to your plate such as Omega-rich oily fish (salmon and tuna), oranges for Vitamin C, and green leafy vegetables such as collard greens, spinach, and kale. Avocado, nuts, beans, and seeds are also healthy nutrient sources.
2 - Keep Diabetes at Bay
One of the major causes of vision loss in adults is Type 2 diabetes. Maintaining a healthy weight, as well as proper nutrition and regular exercise, can help to prevent or control this disease.
3 - Protect Those Baby Blues
When using any kind of equipment that has the potential to throw fragments of materials into the air, such as lawnmowers, trimmers, saws, and so forth, it’s imperative to protect your eyes with safety goggles. Participation in sports such as hockey, squash, and baseball can also be dangerous to your eyes, so be sure to use protective eye wear when playing.
4 - Quit Smoking
Many smokers are unaware that smoking makes them much more vulnerable to eye diseases such as macular degeneration, cataracts, and even damage to the optic nerve. If you are a smoker, ask your health care provider for help in stopping, even if you have tried to quit unsuccessfully in the past. Smoking has a huge negative impact on your total health, not just on your eyes, so it’s worthwhile to try again.
5 - Are Those Foster Grants You’re Wearing?
Sunglasses don’t have to be a fashion name brand to adequately protect your eyes from harmful UV light waves. Getting too much exposure to ultraviolet light increases your chances of contracting both cataracts as well as macular degeneration. Be sure to choose sunglasses that state they offer blockage of 99 to 100 percent of UVB and UVA light.
6 - Computer Fatigue
In this digital age, many people spend countless hours each day in front of their computer screens. All that screen time can lead to eyestrain, blurry vision, dry eyes, trouble focusing, headaches, and even neck, back, and shoulder pain. When working at your computer, you should take a break every twenty minutes by looking away from the screen into the distance for at least 20 seconds. Adjust your monitor so your eyes are level with the top of the screen and you are looking slightly down to do your work.
7 - See Your Eyecare Professional Regularly
Regular eye exams are a must, even if you don’t need glasses. Your optometrist or ophthalmologist (an M.D. who specializes in eyes) is trained to spot eye problems, such as glaucoma before you can notice them and before they can negatively affect your vision. Glaucoma, which is an increase in the pressure inside your eye, is usually painless until permanent damage is already done and can be easily detected on a routine eye exam.
