Posted by Everyone is born with two eyes. Most people use their eyes each day to see, so it is important that they continue to function properly. As you get older, it is even more important to make sure that your eyes are taken care of. Here are a few things you can do to care for your eyes.
The best advice in eye care is to have regular eye exams. Especially if you’ve reached the age of 40, your eyes need more attention than ever before. Various diseases and conditions, such as diabetes, can have a very negative impact on vision. Regular examinations will ensure eye health is protected.
Avoid frequent eye strain, for the long-term health of your eyes. While the occasional squinting isn’t going to do much harm, if you’re doing it on a daily basis, your vision could be in danger. Experts recommend getting an exam to determine if your strain is due to needing glasses and to otherwise go easy on your eyes.
Eat a healthy diet to help take care of your eyes. Certain foods, particularly those high in vitamins C and E, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids can help protect your eyes as you age. Aim for green leafy vegetables, “oily” fish, beans, eggs, nuts, and citrus foods for best results.
When your eyes are focused on detailed work, remind yourself to look up every ten minutes. Your eyes need to be rested from the intense focus that you are subjecting them to. If you life your eyes and look out into the distance for about a minute, you relax your eye muscles.
Are you a smoker? If so, stop. Smoking increases the chance that you will have problems with your eyes, like cataracts and macular degeneration. It can be hard to quit, but never stop trying. Even if you’ve failed in the past, you still have a good chance of being able to quit in the future.
Drink plenty of water to keep your eyes hydrated. Your eyes are made mostly of water, and they need to stay moist at all times to remain healthy. Dry eyes are more prone to eye problems and diseases. Keeping your body fully hydrated will ensure that your eyes stay moisturized.
Consume oily fish several times each week. These are high in omega3 fatty acids. These acids are incredibly beneficial to eye health in addition to other parts of your body. Vary your selection from wild salmon, tuna and mackerel. The more you eat, the healthier your vision will be from it.
If you wear contacts, you must follow your eye doctor’s instruction carefully. If your eyes feel irritated when you put them on, that can mean that your contact lenses are damaged. Another reason could be an eye problem that is beginning to form. See your eyecare professional right away to prevent a more serious problem.
When you are working on a project that requires cutting wood or other materials, be sure to wear a pair of goggles. As you are cutting, particles are flying into the air. If your eyes are not protected by goggles, a piece of material can fly in and cause irritation or damage to your eyes.
If you are planning on staying outside for a long period of time, wear a baseball hat or visor. This can prevent the sun’s harmful rays from impacting your eyes and can reduce any irritation that you feel. Additionally, your eyes will become less dry if you block the sun from entering in.
If you wear contacts, make sure you take care of them properly. They carry a greater risk of causing eye issues because they sit directly on your eyes. Make sure to clean them properly daily. Make sure your hands are clean, and that you are using a contact solution that is not expired. Never clean them by putting them in your mouth.
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.
If you use contact lenses, be sure to wash your hands before touching them. There are all sorts of germs and viruses which can enter your body through your eye. The last thing you want is an eye infection, or even a cold or the flu, so wash up first!
If you wear contact lenses, treat them carefully. Research indicates that a very worrying number of contact wearers don’t take care of their lenses. This can cause infections, irritation and possibly vision loss. Saline solution should always be used on contacts, not saliva. There is plenty of bacteria in the mouth that can infect the eyes. Wear your glasses from time to time to help rest your eyes.
A great tip for eye care is to have an eye wash on hand in your first aid kit. Eye washes help to irrigate the eyes when debris has entered the eye. Debris in the eyes can cause serious damage if rubbed, so using an irrigation method is the best option.
Take breaks when you need them. Many people think that looking at a computer screen is the only time you need to concern yourself with stressing your eyes. Even if you are reading or watching television, it’s wise to take frequent breaks so that you don’t start to have eyestrain.
To maintain quality vision over time, keep a pair of sunglasses you. Choosing shades that provide protection from ultraviolet rays is an important step for maintaining healthy eyes. Choose frames that give you protection of 99 to 100 percent of both UVA and UVB rays from the sun. When choosing contact lenses, ask for UV protection to make your eyes even safer.
After reading this article, you now have the knowledge you need to better care for your eyes. Make sure that you use the tips above to help you to start thinking about what you can do for your eyes. Try each of the tips to see which ones work best for you and your eyes.