Though it may be frequently overlooked by some, eye care really is a topic that requires a good deal of attention and emphasis. The health of the eyes can have significant implications in just about every aspect of life, and is therefore worthy of real effort. The tips below are intended to help you keep your eyes in great shape and get the eye care you need.
When you go out on a sunny day, be sure that you wear a pair of sunglasses that offer UV protection. The rays from the sun can be damaging to your eyes if they are exposed to the sun too long. Make sure that the lenses are from a reputable manufacturer.
Eat your vegetables. Living a healthy life is all about eating the right foods and avoiding the bad ones. Leafy green vegetables are packed full of Vitamin A and Vitamin E, which are very useful vitamins that help the body preform many of its necessary functions, such as repairing and replacing dead skin cells, thus preventing wrinkles and fine lines.
Know if your family has a history of any eye problems so that you know what you might expect down the road. Knowing something runs in your family allows your doctor to check for it more frequently. The earlier a diagnosis can be made the sooner you can get treatment for it, which can make a huge difference.
Keep your eyes protected from the sun. You should wear quality sunglasses to protect them from UV rays. If your eyes are frequently exposed to UVB rays, your risks for macular degeneration and cataracts increase. Try picking a pair of sunglasses that block between 99 and 100 percent of UVB and UVA rays.
Take dry eyes very seriously if you suffer from this condition. While everyone experiences some dryness, either due to being tired or environmental influences, it can be damaging if it’s happening too frequently. Talk to your eye care professional about possible treatments for your dry eyes, to prevent long-term damage.
When shopping for sunglasses, it is important that the lense says it offers 100% UV protection. It is not enough to just have tinted glass because the sun’s radiation can still penetrate the glass and damage your eyes. UV protection will block out the radiation and protect your eyes from damage.
Do you still smoke? It is time to quit. Your eyes suffer if you smoke. Anyone who smokes long term is at higher risk of eye damage. Quitting cuts down your risk for cataracts and other eye conditions.
Don’t smoke. Along with other things, smoking can really damage your eyes. It can cause cataracts, macular degeneration, and optic nerve damage. Not only that, but it is harmful in other ways to other areas of your body. If you are having a hard time quitting smoking, keep trying, it will be worth it when you are successful.
Get healthy today. There are a lot of different aspects behind “getting healthy” and they all have a direct relation to the health of your eyes. Eating healthy will provide your eyes and the skin around your eyes with the vitamins they need. Exercising will increase blood flow and lower pressure around the eyes.
If you wear contact lenses, avoid wearing them while you sleep or for more than 19 hours. Unless you are wearing special lenses that are made for wearing overnight, your contact can deprive your eyes of oxygen and lead to extreme discomfort and possibly serious permanent damage to your sight.
When you are reading, make sure that you have adequate lighting. Reading in low light can cause your eyes to strain unnecessarily. This can lead to eye discomfort and potential problems. Read by a window that provides bright light, or turn on more lights indoors when you are reading at night.
Do you use the computer often, either at work or at home? Looking at the computer screen can be damaging to your eyes, causing blurry vision, strain, headaches and even back and neck pain. Keep your eyes safe by resting them every 20 minutes. Simply look off into the distance for about 20 seconds. Make sure you take a break from your work every hour or so as well.
Make sure to consume copious amounts of Vitamin A during the course of the day. Vitamin A is great for helping to reduce the inflammation and irritation that you may feel, which can cause dryness. Foods that have high sources of this vitamin include carrots, chicken, potatoes, spinach and sweet potatoes.
To care for your eyes, you must be a healthy weight. Obesity leads to diabetes which can create great damage to your eyes. It also leads to glaucoma, hypertensive retinopathy and other conditions which can lead to blindness. The healthier your body is, the healthier your eyes will be, so lose weight!
Rest your eyes. If you spend long periods of time looking at your computer or focusing on one thing, it can be easy to forget to blink. This causes your eyes to fatigue. Reduce eye strain by looking away every 20 minutes for about twenty seconds. This can help your eyes.
Always take out your contact lenses before you sleep. Contact lenses that are left inside the eyes for too long will harbor bacteria growth. You should remove your contact lenses every night and disinfect them properly. Failing to do so will just set you up for more frequent eye infections.
Switch up your makeup after two months. For the same reasons you would want to replace your contacts every few months: they build up bacteria. After several months using the same makeup, you will be brushing bacteria all around your face and eyes. This can cause all sorts of damage to the eye and surrounding skin.
It is sometimes easy to take eye care for granted, particularly if you have never experienced problems with your vision. However, because eye health can have an impact on overall health, it is important to take eye care seriously. By keeping the above advice handy, you can be prepared for anything that comes your way.