Eye Care: Tips for Healthy Vision

Eye care is an essential part of any healthy lifestyle. Regular exercise, eating a balanced diet, watching your weight and ensuring you have your eyes checked regularly doesn't only keep your vision in tip-top condition, but these measures will also help in the detection of long-term health issues such as diabetes, be responsible for permanent eye damage.

To help reinforce the importance of eye health this month and all sorts of year long, we are celebrating Healthy Vision Month all through the month of May. And also to kick off this month of healthy vision, we're sharing four of our top vision tips which will keep your eyes feeling fresh and strong long after Healthy Vision month has ended.

Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables

Broccoli, spinach, sweetcorn, orange and yellow peppers, kiwi fruits, oranges and mangoes are great sources of the substances lutein and zeaxanthin, which might help protect against some eye conditions. If your busy lifestyle means your diet is not always as healthy as you'd like so that it is.

Stop smoking

Smoking can promote eye diseases since it reduces blood flow to the eyes and may increase the amount of toxic substances (like tar and nicotine) your eyes absorb. If you’re at risk for diabetic retinopathy or macular degeneration, contact with toxic substances in cigarettes can elevate that risk.

Eye fitness

Eye exercises can sometimes be advised in cases of muscle imbalances within the eye; but they can also be fun and provide you with a welcome break from your busy lifestyle. Eye workouts are quick, easy to do and can be a part of your morning routine, just like cleaning your teeth or washing your hands. Our section on eye exercises provides you with three fun and simple exercises that can help to keep your eye muscles fit.

Don't rub your eyes

For those who have something in your eye, don't rub it. A good thing to do is lift top of the eyelid outward and gently pull it right down to cover the lower lashes causing tears to clean the object out of your eye. Lens wearers must take them out and clean them thoroughly.

Wear sunglasses

Everyone knows that wearing sunscreen is good for the skin, but a lot of men forget their eyes need protection as well. You don't have to look directly in the sun to suffer from eye damage. The sun's ultraviolet or UV rays can be reflected off snow, sand, pavement, and water.

Shed some light

When you won’t permanently hurt your eyes by reading or employed in a dimly lit area, you can cause temporary eyestrain, be responsible for headaches and fatigue. Protect your eyes by looking into making sure your workspace is brightly lit.

Take a break

Another way to prevent eyestrain would be to take frequent breaks in the computer screen or reading materials. About every 10 minutes, look up or away for 10 seconds, so your eyes get a rest. If you’re watching television, give your eyes a break and look away every half hour or so.

Get your eyes tested regularly

It's important to possess a regular, comprehensive eye test because optometrists can diagnose not only problems with sight, but major health issues too, such as high cholesterol, liver damage and many more.