Your eyes are the window to your soul – and your health. There are a number of things you can practice to keep your eyes healthy. Here’s a list of simple and easy eye health tips prepared by our eye specialists to help you maintain good eyesight well into your golden years.
- Know your family’s eye health history: It’s important to know your eye health history as many eye diseases that cause blindness among people of all ages are influenced by genetic factors. If anyone in your family has been diagnosed with an eye disease that’s hereditary, you are at higher risk for developing the disease. It’s reported that genetic factors play a key role in diseases like glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration.
- Go for regular eye checkups: You might think that your eyes are healthy, but you are never sure of that until and unless you get your eyes checked by an eye specialist. A comprehensive dilated eye exam is the best way to get an insight about your eye health. Many common eye diseases such as glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, and age-related macular degeneration often have no warning signs and can be detected only by a comprehensive dilated eye exam. You should get your eyes tested every 2 years. If you have diabetes, then it’s a must to get your eyes checked every year.
- Don’t ignore even the slightest vision changes: Visit an eye specialist immediately, if you are worried about any aspect of your vision at any time.
- Give up smoking: We know it’s not easy to get rid of an addiction. Get professional help, if you want – but quit smoking. Smokers are much more likely to develop cataracts and age-related macular degeneration than non-smokers. Both diseases are leading causes of blindness worldwide.
- Protect your eyes from the sun: Sunglasses aren’t just great fashion accessories, but they also protect your eyes from UV rays. When outdoors, avoid looking at the sun directly. During an eclipse, you might feel like looking at the sun directly, but doing so can cause irreversible damage to your eyesight.
- Follow the 20-20-20 rule: If you spend a lot of time at the computer, you might forget to blink often – as a result your eyes can become dry and fatigued. To avoid this, try the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, look away from the screen for 20 seconds at something that’s 20 feet away.
- Stay hydrated: Drinking water regularly throughout the day is good for your eye health.
- Eat right: Eating a well-balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables, particularly dark leafy greens, keeps your eyes healthy. Also, eat fish high in omega-3 fatty acids as it boosts your eye health.
- Maintain proper hygiene when wearing contact lenses: Wash your hands properly before putting in or taking out your contact lenses. Use fresh cleaning solution every time when disinfecting the lenses.