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Healthy eyesight is a necessity in every individual’s life. Without good eyesight, our perception of the environment and our immediate surroundings is more difficult. The optic nerve is connected to the eye and brain. Therefore, a healthy and well-functioning eye results in a healthy brain. A healthy brain also means an improvement in the overall quality of your life.
Considering this, you do not have to wait for something to go wrong with one of the most complex organs in your body for you to start taking its health seriously.
Eat healthily, be healthy
Improving your eye health can be as simple as eating healthy food regularly. Your diet should include plenty of fruits and vegetables, including carrots, strawberries, red pepper, citrus, spinach and broccoli. Eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, and halibut, can also help your eyes.
In addition, green and leafy vegetables, zucchini, broccoli and eggs contain lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids found in the retina, and can improve your eyesight. Lutein and zeaxanthin can also be taken in supplement form.
Being healthy is not always about eating. You can be fit by maintaining a healthy weight through exercising regularly. In addition, exercise may help to prevent or control diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. These diseases can lead to some eye or vision problems. For example, having diabetes puts you at an increased risk of getting diabetic retinopathy or glaucoma. So if you exercise regularly, you can lower your risk of getting these eye and vision problems.
Protect your eyes
Wearing sunglasses is essential not just for your looks but for the protection of your eyes. Sunglasses help protect your eyes from sun damage-related eye defects. These include cataracts, macular degeneration, and pterygium, leading to astigmatism and blurred vision.
Opt for sunglasses that block out 99 to 100% of UV-A and UV-B radiation. If you hate the look of sunglasses, wide-brimmed hats can also help protect your eyes from sun damage.
In addition to protecting your eyes from sun exposure, you need the appropriate eyewear for activities that may harm your eyesight. This includes protection when playing certain sports, working in jobs such as factory work and construction, and doing repairs and projects in your home. In addition, rugged, protective eyewear is essential if there is a risk of chemicals, sharp objects, or materials such as wood shavings, metal shards, or even a stray elbow during sports entering your eye.
Some protective eyewear is made with polycarbonate, which is about ten times tougher than other forms of plastic. Polycarbonate will help protect the eyes from anything sharp and thick that might cause damage.
Get tested
Everyone needs to have their eyesight tested now and then like they do with other parts of their body. Regular eye screening and tests are essential because our eyes are the most exposed part of our body and could be infected or develop issues over time.
Unlike children, adults need more than a simple eye test. Instead, they need a comprehensive, dilated eye exam. Getting comprehensive dilated eye exams is especially important because some eye diseases may not have warning signs. The exams are the only way to detect these diseases early when they are easier to treat.
This exam includes a visual field test to measure your peripheral or side vision., a visual acuity test; where you read an eye chart about 20 feet away, tonometry; which measures your eye’s internal pressure, dilation; which involves getting eye drops that widen your pupils, amongst others. If you have a refractive error and need glasses or contacts, you will also have a refraction test.
Also, your age, race, and overall health determine when you should take the exam. For example, if you are African American, you are at higher risk of glaucoma, therefore, you need to start having eye tests earlier. If you have diabetes, you should have an eye exam every year.
Find a reputable, registered optometrist to perform your eye exam. If you live in Salt Lake City, for example, search for a qualified optometrist Salt Lake City. They will perform a comprehensive eye exam to rule out any serious eye problems and to provide you with an overall picture of your eye health.
Quit bad habits
Smoking is bad for your lungs, heart, hair, skin, teeth, and just about every other body part, which includes your eyes, too. Compared to the other causes of eye problems, smoking dramatically raises your risk of developing cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.
The good news is your eyes, lungs, heart, and other parts of your body can recover from years of tobacco-induced harm within the first few hours of quitting. This means the longer you avoid cigarettes, the more your blood vessels will benefit and inflammation will ease off throughout your eyes and the rest of you.
In addition to quitting smoking, reduce your screen time. Research suggests adults, on average, spend more than 3 hours a day on their mobile devices. That’s a lot of eye strain within a day, this can cause serious eye problems
As you get tired from strenuous activity, your eyes also get tired and deserve a break. To ease the strain, follow the 20-20-20 rule. That means every 20 minutes, you should stop staring at your computer and look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Stay informed
Now that you know how vital your eyes are, make a conscious effort to keep them healthy by utilizing some of the tips listed above.
Aside from going for regular eye tests, take some time to get to know your family’s eye history. Some eye conditions are hereditary, so being aware of eye conditions that your parents or grandparents have can help you take precautions. These hereditary conditions include glaucoma
retinal degeneration, age-related macular degeneration and optic atrophy.
Understanding your family history can help you take early precautions
With age also comes eye diseases and conditions. It is important to know your risk factors because you may be able to lower your risk by changing some behaviours.
It’s that easy
Health is wealth, and good health includes healthy eyes. You don’t have to go all out to ensure your eyes stay healthy. Boosting your eyes’ health can be as simple as eating healthy, wearing sunglasses, getting tested regularly, quitting bad habits and staying informed about your family’s eye history.