Lots of us know about looking after our bodies through diet and exercise, and many of us make sure we practice good posture and ergonomics. Something that a lot of people don’t know the importance of, however, is looking after their eyes. You use them each day, and without them, life becomes a whole lot harder.
There are some simple tips and tricks to follow, like wearing protective sunglasses in bright weather – there are lots of great ranges of eye glasses out there to make sure you don’t strain your eyes. Drinking lots of water is also essential, not only for the functioning of your body as a whole but to keep your eye health top-notch. However, there are some lesser-known things you should be doing. We have rounded up a list of tips that will give your eyes the best chance at staying healthy for your whole life.
The first thing you should be doing to look after your eyes is dialing in your diet. Make sure you get enough of the important nutrients; these include omega-three acids, zinc, and lutein.
To make sure you get enough of the vital nutrients your body needs, eat lots of green vegetables, especially spinach and kale.
Eat lots of oily fish like salmon, as well as eggs and nuts. Important nutrients also comes from citrus fruit, so eat an orange or two a week to top up your vitamin C.
Eating healthily also means you should be at a healthier weight; this reduces your chance of developing obesity-related diseases that can cause eye problems, like diabetes.
Quitting smoking will reduce the chance of you developing cataracts as well as macular degeneration. If you are struggling to quit, seek help – there are so many health benefits to quitting smoking, as well as helping you improve the health of your eyes.
Limit Screen Time
Computers and phone screens are notorious for ruining eyesight. The blue light they emit causes immense strain on your eyes. To protect yourself from this, if you wear glasses or contacts, make sure they aren’t outdated and they are designed for looking at computer screens.
You can also position the monitor, so your eyes are level with the top of the monitor; this puts your eyes in the optimal position looking down at the screen.
If you are using a computer in a room with a window, try and position your screen so that whilst you are working, the glare from outside does not reflect your off your monitor into your eyes.
A good rule of thumb to follow is to have a break every 20 minutes. During that break, look at a spot 20 feet away for about 30 seconds. Then every two hours, you should physically get up and take a 15-minute break away from your work area entirely.
Your eyes are one of your most important assets, make sure you follow these tips to make sure that they do not get irreparably damaged early on in your life. Unfortunately, most long term eye injuries have no early symptoms, so there is no way to know you are damaging your eyes until you realize it is too late.