- Eat Well
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You might have heard this famous saying and already know how important and true it is. The most important factor for healthy eyes is nutrition. Here are some ideas of what you can eat to obtain the most important nutrients for your eyes.
Seafood (Omega-3):
Fatty fish such as tuna, salmon, mackerel are all excellent examples to obtain omega-3. According to a study published in 2011, women who ate these fish just once a week had a 42% lower risk of developing AMD than those who ate these fish less than once a month. The reason is that they are high in antioxidants and this in return helps prevent the damage from free radicals (particles created from smog, cigarette smoke and sun).
Good ol’ Veggies and fruits:
Lutein and zeaxanthin are pigments that can be found in dark leafy greens like peas, zucchini, broccoli and Brussel sprouts. Research carried out in Greece shows that they improve how vision by reducing the effects of bright light exposure and glare as they help absorb some of the light.
Carrots already have a good reputation as a vegetable for healthy eyes. Vitamin A can be obtained from our old friend, the carrot, which can help reduce the deterioration of our vision. Citrus fruits are also an excellent source of Vitamin C, fruit like organs, lemons and limes.
Green Tea:
Drinking 2-3 cups of green tea is not only be an amazing at speeding up your metabolism, but it also is an excellent cocktail of antioxidants for your eyes. It contains catechins (vitamins C and E, lutein, and zeaxanthin).
- Have regular check-ups and know your eye history
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Regular Checkups:
Seemingly unrelated health issues can lead to vision problems, for example, high blood pressure and diabetes, a leading cause of blindness. Immune system disorders can also affect your sight, such as lungs and thyroid glands related diseases. It is recommended to go and see an optician or optometrist every other year from 16-40 or every year if you are older as the risk of developing high blood pressure or any family related diseases increases.
Know your family eye history:
If you know your family’s medical history, it makes it a lot easier to monitor for diseases that have detrimental effects on your vision. Going to a check-up can help detect diseases like glaucoma that have no symptoms and eventually leads to blindness.
- Protect your eyes from your screens and take regular breaks
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Looking at your screens for too long can cause you to strain your eyes, a cause of blurry vision, trouble focusing at a distance to name a few.
Regular breaks:
Although there is no concrete evidence that digital screens hurt your eyes, they do make them tired and dry. Research shows that when we use screens to read text, our blinking rate drops by half. To help reduce this effect you can use the 20/20/20 rule. This rule involves looking away from your screen every 20 minutes about 20 feet and blinking for 20 seconds.
Protecting your eyes from screens:
If you wear glasses regularly and view screens for long periods of time, getting glasses with a special coating for computers that help filter out the glare from the screens might be something to ask your optician. Another tip would be to place the monitor so your eyes are level with the top of the monitor so that you will look slightly down at the screen.
- Treat your contacts with care
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A recent study carried out by Texas University shows that only 2% of people surveyed care for their lenses properly. The most common problem was people washing their contacts with their saliva instead of store bought fresh lens solution. There are hundreds of bacteria in your mouth that can cause severe infections. This also includes regular water. In one study, some people even confessed to wetting their contacts with baby oil, butter and even beer!
It is recommended to remove your contacts before taking naps and wear glasses at least once a week to give our eyes a rest. Another important tip is to make sure to replace them as prescribed and to wash your hands each time before you use them.
- Wear sunglasses
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Buying the right pair of shades is crucial for protecting your eyes. We should wear sunglasses in the summer and winter. Too much exposure to UV rays increases the chance of cataracts and macular degeneration. Make sure you buy a pair that blocks 99% to 100% of UV-A and UV-B rays.
Check out VisionDirect for the biggest online range of fashionable and affordable glasses, where you will be sure to find a pair you love no matter your style or budget.
