How To Maintain Healthy Eyes

Eyes play a very critical role in our lives. They enable us to easily move from one place to another and enjoy seeing the beautiful things in the world. They work for long hours from the minute we wake up to when we go back to sleep. This is why we need to take care of our eyes to keep them healthy. If you experience any problems, you should visit an optometrist in Sydney to do an eye check-up. Optometrists provide a diagnosis followed by total eye care which includes treatment and vision correction.

How to maintain good vision

We shouldn’t take our eyes for granted because they do so much for us and we would be lost without them – literally. Here is a list of steps that you can take to ensure that your eye remains healthy and for a longer time:

1.      Eat well

Healthy eyes and good eyesight begins with the food that you eat. The foods that you eat to keep away eye problems should be rich in nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C & E, zinc, and lutein. Some of the foods you should eat to get these nutrients include oranges, pork, eggs, nuts, beans, oysters, salmon, tuna, and green leafy vegetables like spinach.

A healthy meal will lower the risk of obesity and ultimately prevent related diseases like type 2 diabetes which is a leading cause of diabetes in adults.

2.      Visit the eye doctor regularly

Regular eye check-ups make it possible for diseases that cause eye problems to be realized at an early stage and treated. These articles find diseases like glaucoma that have no symptoms.

Eye diseases are the number one cause of blindness. These can be treated or slowed down if they are diagnosed and managed well. During your regular eye check-ups, the doctor asks questions that help him anticipate, prevent, and treat eye disease.

3.      Protect your eyes from harmful UV light

When our eyes are constantly exposed to UV rays, there’s an increase in the risk of cataracts. Other eye diseases that have been linked to UV exposure include macular degeneration, solar retinitis, and corneal dystrophies.

To protect your eyes from UV light, wear prescription sunglasses or UV-blocking contact lenses. You should also wear protective eyewear like goggles when your work increases the risk of eye injury, vision damage, or complete vision loss. Polarized lenses reduce glare while you drive but don’t necessarily offer any additional protection.

Remember that not wearing prescription glasses or contacts doesn’t cause any disease but can cause eye strain and headaches.

4.      Look away from the computer screen

Sometimes our work requires us to sit in front of the computer for hours on end. When you stare at the computer screen for long hours, you can start experiencing dry eyes, eyestrain, headaches, blurry vision, and trouble focusing at a distance. People also experience neck, back, and shoulder pain especially if they don’t maintain the right posture.

Taking a break every once in a while will help keep your eyes healthy. Rest your eyes every 20 minutes and get up at least once every 2 hours. Other things that you can do to protect your eyes from the computer glare include:
·         Getting special prescription glasses for looking at the computer screen
·         Ensuring that the glass’s prescription is up to date
·         Visiting the doctor if the eyestrain persists
·         Moving the screen so that the eyes are level with the top of the monitor.
·         Avoiding glare by getting an anti-glare screen
·         Blinking more or getting artificial tears if your eyes feel dry

5.      Quit smoking

Nicotine makes you more prone to cataracts. It also damages your optic nerve and may cause lots of other medical conditions like macular degeneration. Quitting smoking has a whole lot of other health benefits that aren’t only related to our eyes.

Conclusion

Always visit the optometrist for an eye examination at least once every year especially if you regularly experience infections and symptoms such as eye pain, redness, swelling, itchiness, light flashes, or blurred vision. During the eye exam, the doctor will not only conduct some vision tests to see how well your eye works but will also ask you some questions about your family’s medical history. You might need other tests depending on what the doctor needs.