Caring for your eyes is a hugely important task. Sadly, most people have no idea what it takes to keep their eyes in tip top shape. The tips and tricks found below will assist you in making sure your eyes are working for you instead of against you over time.
You should quit smoking to better care for your eyes. It may sound silly, but smoking can negatively impact your eyes. It can increase your risks of developing cataracts, macular degeneration, and optic nerve damage. These issues can cause cause you to lose your sight, so it is worth the effort to quit.
It is very important to protect your eyes from direct sunlight, so make sure to wear sunglasses when you are outdoors or driving. The polarized sunglasses are best since they protect your sight by filtering out the UVA rays of the sun that can cause glaucoma and some other eye diseases.
Don’t stare at the computer screen too long. You can end up with issues like eyestrain, blurriness, headaches, dry eyes, and decreased distance focus. Try taking breaks every 20 minutes or so by looking 20 feet away from the screen for about 20 seconds. This can help you rest and re-focus your eyes to reduce or prevent those eye issues.
Wear sunglasses to protect your vision. You should wear sunglasses even on cloudy days. When you choose your shades, look for ones that have UV protection. They cost a little more, but will protect your eyes.
Avoid glare when possible, including that from your electronic devices. Glare is a concentration of bright light, so you know it is not good for your eyes. If you are using your device where glare is an issue, you should purchase an anti-glare screen protector for your laptop, phone or tablet.
Don’t smoke. Along with other things, smoking can really damage your eyes. It can cause cataracts, macular degeneration, and optic nerve damage. Not only that, but it is harmful in other ways to other areas of your body. If you are having a hard time quitting smoking, keep trying, it will be worth it when you are successful.
Get healthy today. There are a lot of different aspects behind “getting healthy” and they all have a direct relation to the health of your eyes. Eating healthy will provide your eyes and the skin around your eyes with the vitamins they need. Exercising will increase blood flow and lower pressure around the eyes.
If you want to ensure that your eyes aren’t puffy, put your eye gels and creams in the fridge. This coolness will help to reduce inflammation, plus it will feel great when you put it on. Be sure to use your gel or cream every day for optimal results.
Drink plenty of water. As with the rest of your body, your eyes require adequate hydration. If you consume adequate amounts of water, it will help you. Consider talking to your health care professional to find out how much water you need to consume each day based on your weight and activity levels.
Take a look at the air conditioning and heating used in your home. Heating and air conditioning systems are a common cause of dry eye. Keep a humidifier running to make sure there is moisture in the air. This is what can help your eyes to not get dry and irritated.
Make sure to consume copious amounts of Vitamin A during the course of the day. Vitamin A is great for helping to reduce the inflammation and irritation that you may feel, which can cause dryness. Foods that have high sources of this vitamin include carrots, chicken, potatoes, spinach and sweet potatoes.
Regular eye checkups are essential to proper eye health. If you are older, you should get your eyes checked more frequently. This is because as you age, you are more prone to serious eye conditions. Letting an optometrist check your eyes closely will help prevent problems or catch them in advance.
When reading or using a computer, incorporate occasional eye exercises. This is as simple as looking away from your target and blinking rapidly. Then, close your eyes and roll them in both a counter-clockwise and clockwise direction. Make sure to breathe deeply while doing so to help bring more oxygen to the capillaries of the eyes.
If your eyes are red and puffy, try applying a cool green bag on each eye lid. The tannin in the tea leaves have anti-inflammatory properties. Soak a couple of tea bags in cold water for several minutes. Then, place them on top of your eyelids for about twenty minutes.
Bring a bottle of eye drops to work or school, especially if you are working in front of a computer screen all day. Apply several eye drops to each eye to help restore moisture so that there is a barrier between your eyes and the external elements that can cause irritation, soreness and dryness.
Make sure you are getting adequate sleep every night. Every part of your body rests and repairs itself while you are sleeping, and your eyes are no different. You can feel that your eyes are tired and feel strained in the morning when you are only able to get a few hours of sleep the night before.
Prevent puffiness to your eyes by applying slices of cucumber on your eyelids. Apply the cold cucumber slices on your eyelids ten minutes prior to going to bed at night in order to prevent puffiness. Cucumbers contain caffeic and absorbic acid which prevent water retention. Green tea bags can also be a good substitute for cucumbers.
Be careful not to use over-the-counter eye drops too often. There is even a warning on the bottles about it. It is okay to use them if you have dry or itchy eyes, but using them too often can cause extreme redness, blurry vision, or other eye issues. If you are having constant eye problems, try talking to your eye doctor.
When you use these tips, you will find that your eyes are healthy and see clearly. Be sure to take great care of your eyes so that they continue to work well long into your golden years. What you’ve learned today will last a lifetime, so be sure to keep using this information long into the future.
If you’re not making an eye appointment annually with an optometrist, then you are not doing all you can. You see, eyesight can change over time, even in just a year. Whether you have a prescription already or you’re just maintaining your 20/20 vision, you need to be seeing an optometrist regularly.
Keep some form of artificial tear drops around. A lot of eye strain is related to improperly lubricated eyes. By using drops, you can increase the thickness and amount of lubrication your eyes need. If you are sensitive to preservatives, look for a brand that is preservative-free to avoid creating more symptoms.
If you like to wear makeup, do not settle for bargain brands or unbranded products. Branded makeup from the leading brands in the industry are not cheap. However, the products are made with high-quality ingredients that are proven to be gentle. Eye makeup from lesser-known or dollar store brands are highly likely to irritate your eyes.
Wear eye protection when you are playing certain sports. When you engage in a sport, there is a chance of your face or eyes getting struck by a ball or by another player. Eye protection will at least guard your eyes from any harmful blows. Check with your eyecare professional to get the right kind of protection for the type of sport that you are playing.
Are you a smoker? If so, stop. Smoking increases the chance that you will have problems with your eyes, like cataracts and macular degeneration. It can be hard to quit, but never stop trying. Even if you’ve failed in the past, you still have a good chance of being able to quit in the future.