12 Natural Habits To Maintain Optimal Eye Health

Having good eyesight helps you perform well—at home, at work, or behind the wheel. That’s why it’s important to take these few simple steps to maintain your vision at its best.

There are time that you worry that your vision will only degrade over time, and you start to wonder what you can do avoid this and maintain a good eye health. Below are some habits tips to help you reach this goal. Read on to see what you can do to prevent your vision from worsening as you age.

1. Eat A Healthy, Balanced Diet

Eat nutrient-rich foods to ensure healthy eyes and overall health. If possible, consume a diet rich in the following types of nutrients:

• Lutein
• Omega-3 fatty acids
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Zinc

As part of your healthy diet, choose foods rich in these nutrients and antioxidants such as:

• Avocados
• Beans
• Beet greens
• Berries
• Broccoli
• Brown rice
• Chard
• Collard greens
• Eggs
• Flaxseed oil
• Kale
• Leafy, green vegetables
• Lemons
• Mackerel
• Nuts
• Oranges
• Peas

• Quinoa
• Salmon or any fatty fish, which contain essential omega-3 fatty acids that are important to the health of the macula, the part of the eye responsible for central vision
• Sardines
• Spinach
• Tuna

Additionally, experts report that drinking 2 servings of caffeinated beverages each day protect against dry eyes. So savoring a morning cup of tea or coffee is actually good for your eye health.

Learn more Health Benefits of Drinking Black Coffee.

On the other hand, an unhealthy diet may create free-radical reactions that can harm the macula. In addition, high-fat diets can also cause deposits that constrict blood flow in the arteries. The eyes are especially sensitive to these, given the small size of the blood vessels that feed them. They are also unique considering their own set of nutritional needs. 

2. Exercise Regularly And Maintain A Healthy Weight

Exercise improves blood circulation, which improves oxygen levels to the eyes and facilitates the removal of toxins. By exercising, you will reduce your risk of suffering from certain diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes.

Learn more ways on How To Maintain Normal Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar Naturally over time.

Also, you should maintain a healthy weight as being overweight can impact your eye health regardless of whether you are experiencing any symptoms. Conditions such as cataract and thyroid eye disease have been linked to obesity.

Know more Health And Fitness Benefits of Strength Training.

3. Get Enough Quality Sleep

You’ll feel the difference when you get the sleep you need. You’ll look great and you’ll enthusiastically perform at home or work while supporting your healthy eyesight.

4. Quit smoking or Never Start

Smoking makes your eyes dry and exposes them to high levels of oxidative stress. According to recent studies, smoking has been linked to increased risks of damaging the optic nerve as well as the development of macular degeneratio and cataracts which all can lead to blindness.

Furthermore, it is said that smokers are 7x more likely to suffer from an eye disease than non-smokers. So through quitting cigarettes, you will significantly contribute to your eyes’ health. If you want to stop smoking for good, you may talk to your doctor and ask for suggestions.

5. Drink Alcohol in Moderation

Men are advised to drink no more than 21 units of alcohol per week, and no more than 4 units per day. While for women, the recommended alcohol intake is no more than 14 units per week and 3 units per day.

6. Be Cool And Wear Your Shades

Exposure to UV rays can increase your risk for developing macular degeneration, cataracts and other eye diseases. In addition, just like your skin, your eyes can get ‘sunburned’, causing irritation, redness, tearing, discomfort or pain, or a ‘sandy’ sensation in the eye.

If you spend a lot of time outdoors, adopt these everyday measures to protect your eyes from getting damaged by the sun, by:

• Wearing quality sunglasses with both UVA and UVB protection as often as necessary. Seek the advice of your optician or optometrist to pick the right ones.
• Wearing a cap or wide-brimmed hat.
• Staying in the shade whenever possible.

7. Reduce Eyestrain By Giving Your Eyes A Break

The more time you spend staring at a screen, the greater your risk for eye strain. To mitigate the effects of screen time, optometrists recommend the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, you should look 20 feet away for 20 seconds to give your eyes a break.

Here are some other tips to help when you’re on your computer:

• Keep the top of your computer screen slightly below eye level.
• Keep your computer screen within 20″-24″ of your eye.
• Use lubricating eye drops to soothe irritated, dry eyes.
• Adjust lighting to minimize glare on the screen.
• Blink frequently.

Your job may require you to look at a computer screen all day may it be on a computer, phone, tablet or any electronic device. There are online apps and widgets that you can download onto your gadgets to notify you when to take breaks through flashing your screen.

8. Clean Your Hands And Wear Contact Lenses Properly

Always wash your hands thoroughly before putting in or taking out your contact lenses. However, if you wear contact lenses, your risk for poorer eye health increases. Contacts can introduce bacteria and debris into your eyes, and you could develop certain eye conditions such as bacterial conjunctivitis, also called ‘sore eyes’ or ‘pink eye’.

Therefore, to reduce your risk for developing infections, clean your lenses properly clean and make sure to disinfect them as instructed and replace as appropriate.

9. Wear Protective Eyewear For Safety

Keep in mind that it can only take few seconds to lose your eyesight. It can be causes by a falling tree branch, a splash of toxic product, a piece of insulation material, and many others. So whether it’s for exercising, woodworking or going about your professional activities, wear safety glasses to prevent such accidents.

10. Keep Eyes Well Hydrated

Your eyes must retain moisture, however, several factors can contribute to making your eyes dry such as smoke, pollution, excessive heating, taking certain medications and some diseases. Therefore, make it a habit of blinking more often, and if your eyes become dry, use lubricating drops as prescribed by your doctor or pharmacist.

11. Know Your Family’s Eye Health History

Talk with your family members about their eye health history and determine if anyone has been diagnosed with a disease, particularly with an eye condition since many are hereditary. This will help to determine if you are at higher risk of developing an eye problem.

12. Visit Your Eye Doctor Regularly

It is recommended to visit your eye doctor or optometrist regularly, or every two years and receive eye exams, in order to detect an eye disorder as early as possible.

This is a good way to avoid negative consequences, especially in young children and people over 40. During these appointments, your optometrist will check your eyes for abnormalities, diseases, and other complications. If he or she notices any issues, you’ll work together to treat the condition.

Moreover, if you wear corrective lenses, you should visit your eye doctor more often to ensure you can still see properly or if you need adjustments to your lenses.

Also, you should also visit your primary healthcare physician regularly to check for high blood pressure and diabetes. If left unchecked, these conditions can cause eye problems such as macular degeneration, eye stroke (also called ocular ischemic syndrome) and diabetic retinopathy.

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Early Intervention

Eye disorders include presbyopia (a condition associated with the aging of the eye), myopia (near-sightedness), astigmatism (a refractive eye error) and strabismus (a condition in which the eyes do not properly align with each other). Some of these conditions can be corrected in young children if diagnosed early.

Additionally, most serious eye conditions, such as glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration or AMD, are more easily and successfully treated if diagnosed and treated early. If these are left untreated, these can cause serious vision loss and blindness. Early intervention now will prevent vision loss later.

There are many diseases that can affect your eyes. Most of them can be treated before they affect your vision, which is why it is important to detect them rapidly.

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When To Seek Immediate Medical Attention

You should see an optometrist or doctor without delay if:

• your vision is disrupted;
• you feel pain in an eye or both;
• you become sensitive to light; and,
• you are experiencing any other unusual symptom.

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Conclusion

Don’t take your eyes for granted. Your eye health is just as important as your overall health. So use these tips towards ensuring that you give your eyes, the tender, loving and amazing care that they need for a brighter and clearer tomorrow. If you would like more tips, talk to your optometrist. He or she can provide you with expert advice so you can maintain healthy eyes.

Your eyes work for you all day and they absolutely deserve to be pampered. Treat them as you would a precious work of art… they are just as valuable, if not more!

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