May was celebrated as the Healthy Vision Month in many places across the globe. From detailed eye checkups to educating people about the common eye problems, a lot of activities were hosted to highlight the importance of vision care
Eyes are an important part of your overall health and well being. There are many people who take their eyes for granted, the result is that the health of your eyes often gets ignored. With the healthy vision month just gone by, the best way that one can commemorate the occasion is by pledging to opt for a detailed eye exam on a regular basis.
Maintaining your eye health requires you to follow some simple steps. In fact, these are tips that are easy to incorporate in your daily life and can help you see your best even in the long run. Here is a look at the simple steps that you need to follow to maintain the health of your eyes well into your golden years:
A dilated eye exam
Don’t wrongly assume that your vision is fine or that your eyes are healthy unless the same is certified by an eyecare professional through a comprehensive dilated eye exam. Sadly, in case of vision problems, many people are not able to realise that they can actually see better with glasses or contact lenses.
Additionally, even the common eye diseases such as glaucoma, diabetic eye disease and age-related macular degeneration don’t display prominent warning signs. However, with a dilated eye exam, these disease can be detected in early stages.
Be aware of your family’s eye history
Not all eye related problems are hereditary but some of them are. Therefore, it is important for you to be well aware of your family member’s eye health history. It all starts with talking to your family members in order to explore their eye health history. Talk to your family members about their eye health history and ensure that the ophthalmologist is aware of the same while examining the eye. This gives them an upper hand in being able to identify possible vision problems.
Eat right for your sight
The food you eat is instrumental in determining the health of your vision. For instance, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables promotes general well being and is good for the health of your vision as well. Even in this diet, make it mandatory to include more dark leafy green veggies like spinach, kale, or collard greens as they are known to aid in healthy vision. For those who eat non vegetarian foods, including fish that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, and halibut will also help.
Maintain a healthy weight
If you are wondering what is the connection between your weight and your eyesight, you may not be aware. Being overweight or obese increases is directly linked to an increase in your risk of developing chronic conditions like diabetes which in turn can affect your vision. To put it simply, maintaining a healthy weight can help you avoid a lot of vision problems.
Protect your eyes
Wearing protective eyewear will help sustain the health of your eyes in the long run. When you indulge in playing sports, going to the gym, swimming, playing, etc., you need to wear protective eyewear. This includes safety glasses, safety shields, eye guards, etc. designed to provide the correct protection for different activities. The advantage of protective eyewear lenses is that they are made of polycarbonate, a material which is ten times stronger than regular plastics.
No Smoking
Smoking is bad for the overall well being of the body. There have been researches that link smoking to various eye disorders like age related macular degeneration, cataract, optic nerve damage, etc.
Rest your eyes
We live in a digital era where a lot of time is spent focusing on the computer and other gadgets. The brightness of the screen tends to strain your eyes. A simple way to avoid the after effects of this strain is to practice the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look away about 20 feet in front of you for 20 seconds.
Keep your hands clear
How often do you touch your eyes with your hands? And how many times do you take care to clean your hands while touching your eyes. In order to avoid the risk of infection, wash your hands while touching your eyes or using contact lenses. In fact, ensure that you disinfect the contact lenses as well to further negate the risk.
