Tips on Keeping Your Eyes Healthy

There are many things we can do to keep our eyes healthy and maintain good vision as we age. This article goes over a few tips on ways to keep your eyes in good health and vision lasting for years to come.

1.      Eat Well

Maintaining a proper diet and taking the right vitamins have a big impact on your eyes and vision. Nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zinc, and vitamins C and E could help lessen the chance for getting macular degeneration and cataracts. Vegetables that are green and leafy such as spinach, kale, and collards, should be a part of your diet if you are serious about your eye health.

2.      Stop Smoking

Smokers have a higher likelihood of getting cataracts, developing optic nerve damage, and macular degeneration. If you are a chronic smoker and have not had eye issues yet, consider yourself lucky. The faster you can kick the habit, the higher the chance you won’t develop eye issues.

3.      Wear Sunglasses

Constantly exposing your eyes to ultraviolet (UV) rays can increase your chances of developing cataracts and macular degeneration. If you live in a sunny climate with higher UV exposure, wearing sunglasses every time you go outside or are in the car can drastically lessen the chances of developing eye problems. Useful tip: Choose a pair that blocks 99% to 100% of UVA and UVB rays.

4.      Limit Eye Exposure to Computer Screens

We all live in a world where we are constantly looking at computer screens. However, too much exposure to digital screens can be damaging to our eyes and vision. The problems that can develop from staring at computer screens too long are eyestrain, blurry vision, trouble focusing, dry eyes, and headaches. To protect your eyes, make sure to take regular breaks from your computer or phone. Readjusting your eyes every 20 minutes by looking at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds will have a huge impact on your vision, focus, and minimize the chances of developing headaches and other eye-related issues.

5.      Visit Your Eye Doctor and Get Exams Regularly

We all should be regularly visiting our eye doctors and receiving regular eye exams to check for any abnormalities that could be developing with your eyes or vision. Eye exams can find diseases like glaucoma and determine if you are developing any eye or vision issues.