5 Ways to Keep Your Eyes Healthy

Good eye health is a top priority for everyone. Whether you are young or old, your eyes give you access to the world around you. Without your eyes, you’ll find it difficult, if not impossible, to enjoy the vibrancy of color and nature. Hence, it is crucial to take care of your eyes. It will allow you to enjoy this beauty for longer. If you agree, here are some tips to help you along the way.

Eat Vision-healthy Foods

These are foods that promote your eye health. One of these that you will commonly hear about is carrots. However, there are plenty of other foods that help promote good eyesight. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables are among them. Dark, leafy greens contain antioxidants like zeaxanthin and lutein. These prevent the formation of cataracts.

Diets containing grapes are rich in antioxidants that provide higher levels of protection than leafy greens. The antioxidants protect the eyes against oxidative stress that damages them and results in age-related macular degeneration.

Fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids are also vital for your eye health. These include salmon, mackerel, sardines, and tuna. Omega-3 fatty acids prevent ocular inflammation and are ideal for moderate to severe dry eyes.

Wear Sunglasses

Wearing sunglasses may be trendy, but it also protects your eyes from ultraviolet (UV) rays. The sun emits UVA and UVB rays that can hasten the process of age-related eye diseases. Select sunglasses that protect your eyes from at least 99 percent of these harmful ultraviolet rays. Otherwise, you may struggle with eye diseases like age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.

Rest Your Eyes Regularly

They call it the 20-20-20 rule. If you work using digital screens the whole day, you need to apply this rule to your day. It states that you need to look away from your computer screen after 20 minutes of working. When you do this, focus on an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds. The purpose of the exercise is to reduce eyestrain.

Spending more time on our computers and digital screens and less time outdoors contributes to nearsightedness. The reason is that digital screens require constant up-close focusing. Outdoors, your eyes can keep refocusing. You can look at near and far objects, which exercises your eye muscles and makes them strong.

Stop Smoking

Smoking increases your chances of getting age-related eye diseases like cataracts and macular degeneration. It also damages the optic nerve and leads to glaucoma. If you have been trying to quit the habit, keep at it. The more you try, the more likely you are to succeed. If necessary, seek help from your doctor.

Go for Regular Eye Exams

They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul. They forgot to add that they are also the window to the rest of your body. Although your vision may appear healthy, some issues may not be evident. These issues may relate to your eyes or the rest of your body.

Your eye doctor has the training and the skills to diagnose these problems—the earlier, the better. They can develop a treatment plan that will prevent the condition from worsening. It will also allow you to enjoy life and get about your daily activities without hindrance.

For more on keeping your eyes healthy, call Beach Cities Optometry at (310) 376-8975 to reach our office in Manhattan Beach, California.