Eye care is an essential part of everyday life because, unlike many aspects of our body, eye damage can’t easily be fixed by taking a couple of weeks off. Additionally, our eyes deteriorating over time can also be a severe problem for many of us as we primarily rely on our eyesight to function correctly. Our eyes are one, if not the best, asset of our body, so we should do our best to maintain them at all times. Here are simple ways to keep your eyes healthy.
UV Light and Our Eyes
Interestingly enough, one of the main reasons we can see is also why our eyes degrade. Ultraviolet light (UV light) plays a significant role in our eye health, and sadly, they can be found everywhere. Most UV lights come from the sun, and these can have detrimental effects on our eyes if we don’t do something against them directly.
The most common adverse effect that UV rays do to our eyes is retinal damage. Retinal damage treatment can stop permanent damage to your eyes. If you don’t want to experience retinal damage, there are various ways to avoid it.
Avoid Staring Directly at the Sun (Or anything bright!)
Our parents might have told us not to stare directly at the sun or any bright surfaces in our home. This is because the UV light from the sun is relatively concentrated. Staring straight at it can be similar to staring at a laser. This is one of the common reasons for retina damage in kids, but thankfully these damages aren’t too severe, so it only requires minor treatment.
Wear Sunglasses
One of the best ways we can protect our eyes from UV rays is sunglasses. The way sunglasses work is by blocking tremendous amounts of UV rays entering your eyes, hence keeping them protected from prolonged exposure to the sun. However, many sunglasses are primarily designed for fashion and not for UV rays protection. You should look for labels or tags that state it protects your eyes from UV rays. Additionally, bigger sunglasses are better because they have more coverage.
Avoid Lasers
Lasers are becoming more common nowadays as their use can almost be found in any modern technology. Avoid purchasing laser pointers if you can or staring directly at the lenses of visual machines such as projectors. All of these utilize lasers to do their jobs, and any eye contact with them can lead to detrimental effects on your vision.
Maintain a Balanced Diet
Our eyes and vision also depend on what we eat. Don’t panic! You don’t need to change your diet drastically to maintain your eyesight. You don’t need to consume that many vitamins either. All you need is a balanced diet that gives you all the building blocks of life, such as protein, carbohydrates, and such. If you can, it’s good to consume food with either Vitamin D or Omega-3 fatty acids. Both of these have been known to protect our eyesight, and they can be found in fishes like salmon and tuna. However, you mustn’t consume too much of these things either.
Avoid Smoking
Smoking has been related to fast deteriorating eyesight among people in all age groups. You must avoid this particular vice, and you also avoid people who do it, as secondhand smoke can be as detrimental as smoking itself.
Keep Your Eyes Lubricated
Our eyes require lubrication to function properly. This is produced by our eyes quite often, but sometimes it needs some help. You can purchase eye lubricants in any drug store. You will know that your eyes are dry if you are experiencing blurry vision, itchiness, and eye strain. Additionally, avoid directly scratching your eyes as this will leave scratches and marks, which can irritate your eyes even more.
Giving Your Eyes a Rest
It’s important that you give your eyes some rest when working for many hours in front of the computer. One way you can do this is by looking at something 20 feet from you after 30 minutes of staring directly at the computer. You can also enable eye control settings on your monitor or in your computer settings. This will ensure that you don’t strain your eyes too much from a long day’s work.
These are simple ways to take care of your vision without spending too much time and money on it. By following these things, you can maintain your eyes for a long period. Just remember that nothing lasts forever and that age will affect your eyesight. But it’s good to be prepared before then.
