16 Tips to Keep Your Vision Healthy

We have always been told about the importance of taking care of our eyes, from the time we were very young. I mean, who doesn’t remember their mom saying “Eat your carrots, they’re good for your eyes”? The trouble is that too often it is not much more than a lecture with little guidance. Now, as grown ups, we want informed direction because the best health ideas are not very well known. So, here are some easy tips to keep your vision healthy.

1. It’s More Than Just Carrots

A good diet is important and other edibles besides carrots are helpful. Antioxidants matter in keeping eyes healthy and leafy greens such as spinach are full of them. Eggs contain zinc and this is known to reduce the risk of macular degeneration. Citrus fruits and berries have Vitamin C and this not only helps protect the eye from macular degeneration, but cataracts as well.

2. Beware of UV Light

Ultra violet rays are known to damage the eyes. A good idea is to always wear sunglasses on days when the sun is in full force. It can help reduce your chances of developing cataracts.

3. Take Advantage of Your Health Physicals

Diabetes and high blood pressure will have an impact on your vision. Whenever you have a physical you should have your blood pressure checked. Additionally, make an appointment for a routine eye exam. Your health and vision insurance policies will help keep the cost of these routine examinations down.

4. Do Not Start Smoking and Quit If You Do Smoke

This seems to be an all-purpose health hazard. Smoking will put your eyes at risk for cataracts, macular degeneration, and uveitis in addition to other eye disorders. The habit just is not worth all of the health risks. Quitting, or never starting in the first place, is a smart choice if you want to keep your vision healthy.

5. Watch Out for Computer Glare

People who spend a lot of time in front of a computer can strain their eyes from too much screen staring. The 10-10-10 Rule is a good one to follow. For every 10 minutes at a computer, take 10 seconds to look at something else which is 10 feet away from you. It will give your eyes a welcome break.

6. Be Safe in the Workplace

If you are in a factory area especially. Harmful elements in the atmosphere or the chance of exposure to fumes can impact your eyesight. Always wear protective eyeglasses on the work floor. Your company should be supplying these to you.

7. Take a Tea Break

We drink too much coffee anyway and green tea is better for you. Besides having lots of normal antioxidants, green tea has catechins, which help with the health of retina tissue.

8. Take a Blinking Break

It is not just computers that can cause eye strain. Staring at written documents for extended periods of time can give you a pounding headache, besides burning the eye muscles. Every few minutes you should take some time just to blink your eyes.

9. Practice Contact Care

You should never sleep with your contacts in, and you should only use the lens solution prescribed by your doctor. You have to be careful with the use of your contact lenses. Corneal ulcers can be the result of using disposable contact lenses too long.

10. Be Aware of Your Family History

Some problems with the eyes may be part of the family health history. If your parents or grandparents had some eye difficulties, you could be susceptible to them. Try to have a history of family vision as part of your medical records. This helps identify problems before they get out of hand.

11. Have Some Fish

It is not an old wives tale about how fish is good for your eyesight. The fatty acid known as DHA is found in salmon and cod among other fish. DHA provides nutrients necessary for cell membrane support. This can help your eyes. Omega-3, which is also found in fish, is great for your vision as well.

12. Try Vitamin Supplements

Eye vitamins will help strengthen your eyes and boost your vision. Health, in general, has so much to do with what you’re putting in your body, so take the time to learn about vision-enhancing vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Eating well is one of the best things you can do to help keep your vision healthy.

13. Cat Nap

We are not suggesting you take a two-hour snooze every day. A cat nap is intended to rest your eyes for a few minutes, allowing tired muscles to relax for a bit and rejuvenate. Five minutes of shut eye after a lot of intense reading or computer work will do wonders for your vision.

14. Protect Your Eyes When Exercising

Any competitive swimmer will agree that chlorine in the water will irritate the eyes. If you are someone who loves to do laps in the pool, you should have goggles on. The same is true for racquetball and many other sports that involve high-speed balls flying at your face. Not only is getting hit in the eye with a racquetball extremely painful, it can cause serious vision damage.

15. Use Your Own Towel

When you are washing your face, dry off with your own towel and not one belonging to someone else. This is a way of preventing pink eye.

16. Be Careful About Dry Air

People want to turn up the heat in the winter, but it dries out the air. It will also rob your eyes of needed moisture. Either turn down the heat a bit or use a humidifier or frequent eye drops to better protect your eyes.

Taking care of your eyes requires less effort than you might think. A lot of the activity is pretty much a common sense approach to eye care. It is a daily understanding of what can normally be done to keep your vision healthy.

If you have eye insurance, then take advantage of it! An annual checkup can spot problems before they become emergencies. A simple change in the eyeglass prescription can make a sizable difference in eye health. You will be able to see better without straining your eyes.

A major benefit is in the diet. The foods you will be eating for vision health are also very good for your general health. Giving up smoking is something every doctor recommends. You will find that you are going to feel better generally, on top of having happier eyes that aren’t as tired or strained.