We visit the optometrist once per year to ensure we can read thanks to glasses, but there’s more to eye care than that. In fact, how much do you really know about caring for your eyes? If it isn’t much, check out the tips below to learn all you can today.
Wear sunglasses for eye protection. Get a great pair that has the strongest forms of UV protection, and wear them whenever you are outdoors. The sun can damage eyes and the surrounding skin. You don’t want to take chances when it comes to your eyes.
Avoid touching your eyes with your hand during the day if you had not washed your hands. When you are on the job or in school, your hands are in contact with surfaces that are full of bacteria. If you touch your eyes, you will transfer the bacteria to your eyes and raise the risk if an eye infection.
Make sure you always have adequate lighting when you work or read. Your eyes will be straining all the time if you’re trying to see things without sufficient illumination in the room. Over time, this can cause serious damage. Increase your wattage or the number of lighting fixtures in any given room to solve the problem.
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.
You can actually prevent many eye problems with proper care. There are foods, such as those rich in vitamin C and fatty acids, that can help you fight against eye degeneration diseases. Salmon, tuna, nuts, beans, green leafy vegetables, and oranges are just a few of the foods that have these helpful nutrients.
If you regularly wear contacts, keep a pair of backup prescription eye glasses. When experiencing irritation in the eye, you should remove the contact and wear a pair of prescription eye glasses. Keeping a contact lens in your eye while the eye is irritated can turn this seemingly small problem into something much larger, such as corneal ulcer.
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.
Use protective eyewear when working with strong chemicals or you are in an area where airborne particles may pose a danger to your eyes. Many people have sustained eye injuries while doing woodworking projects or being outdoors during very windy weather. You should also wear goggles when swimming in chlorinated water.
Drink anywhere between eight to ten full glasses of water as the day wears on. Water can help to flush the toxins out of your system, which is beneficial in keeping your eyes healthy and moist. Additionally, drinks that contain high sugar content and alcohol can dry your body out and cause excess inflammation.
While sunglasses are helpful for protecting your eyes from the sun’s UV rays, it may also be wise to wear a wide-brimmed hat. Wearing this kind of hat prevents any UV rays from reaching your whole face, including your eyes. So, if you know you will be outdoors for a long period of time, wear this kind of hat.
Stay active. You may not associate exercise with eye health, but the truth is, it increases circulation. That means there is often less pressure in the eyes. Plus, if you are in tune with your body, you will often know when something does not feel right. Get yourself checked out if you have any concerns.
Eat foods that promote good eye health. Foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins E and C, as well as foods that contain lutein, are excellent choices. Some foods that contain those substances are wild salmon, citrus fruits, tomatoes and green leafy vegetables. Have these foods every day so that your eyes continue to be healthy.
Learn to do some exercises for your eyes. Your eyes are controlled by muscles. Just the muscles in the rest of your body, they should be exercised to make them stronger. Alternating your focus between near and far objects for several times at once is a good way to work your eye muscles.
Consume a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables during the day to improve the health of your eyes. This can help to eliminate dry eyes and provide you with the vitamins that you need to stay healthy. Some great fruits are oranges, apples, pears, kiwis and berries for you to eat as the day wears on.
Use eye drops sparingly. While eye drops are effective in soothing irritated eyes and reducing redness, you shouldn’t use them too often. Used frequently, the soothing effects will begin to lose effectiveness, and you may end up with a rebound effect. This means that your eyes will be even drier than before. If your eyes need additional moisture, choose a saline only drop whenever possible.
Utilize a scrub formulated for the eyes if you have trapped particles. These are mild soaps that foam and grab trapped dry skin or loose particles and then help you easily remove them. Use this scrub when you feel irritated skin around your eyes, or regularly, to prevent irritation.
Learn your family’s history with eye health. Many eye conditions tend to be hereditary. This means knowing that a certain disease or condition is found in your family allows you to prepare and watch out for it. If the condition makes an appearance, it will be diagnosed earlier so you can get it treated sooner.
It is important that you visit your optometrist every year to check your vision, but you should also be checking into the health of your eyes. Learning about eye care today will ensure your eyes serve you well tomorrow. Be sure to make use of every tip so you can see the great results.
When you are reading a book or working on your computer, your eyes can forget to blink. That leads to dry eyes and fatigue. Set yourself a reminder to look away every 20 minutes or so at something that is 20 feet away. This 20-20 rule will help your eyes relax.
As if smokers didn’t need yet another health related reason to quit, this habit also threatens eyes. Since smoking deprives every cell in your body of oxygen, something eyes need every minute, smokers run the risk of damaging their vision with each puff of a cigarette. Protect your eyes by quitting smoking as soon as you can.
Visit your eye doctor on a regular basis. It is important to get your eye’s checked for their health and for your vision. If you are straining to see because your vision isn’t good or your glasses or contacts don’t help like they should, you can cause permanent damage.
To maintain quality vision over time, keep a pair of sunglasses you. Choosing shades that provide protection from ultraviolet rays is an important step for maintaining healthy eyes. Choose frames that give you protection of 99 to 100 percent of both UVA and UVB rays from the sun. When choosing contact lenses, ask for UV protection to make your eyes even safer.
Try to always wear sunglasses if you are going to be out in the sun. Having your eyes exposed to too much ultraviolet makes you more susceptible to getting macular degeneration and cataracts. Make sure you choose sunglasses that block from 99% to 100% of the UVB and UVA rays.