How to Look After your Eyes

on July 16, 2015 at 8:27 am

In a recent study, 64% of people said that they value their sight more than any of their other sense, however once they noticed it had deteriorated, 36% of people left it for months, and 13% left it for years before seeking help.

We all know that having healthy eyes is extremely important, so here are some tips for looking after your eyes:

Check if you’re at Risk

Do you know the health history of your family? Some hereditary health problems and disease can cause eye problems. If anyone in your family suffers from diabetes or has a history of high blood pressure, you could also be at risk.

Look for warning signs

If you notice your eyes are changing, it’s imperative that you see an optometrist immediately. Be sure to notice any double vision, difficulty focusing, trouble seeing in low light, and hazy vision, along with eye pain, swelling, flashes of light, and floaters.

Exercise

Regular exercise can help reduce the risk of the eye degeneration which comes with ageing by up to 70%.

Protect your eyes from UV

UV light is harmful for eyes, and you should always wear sunglasses which have proper, certified UV protection in order to shield your eyes from ultraviolet rays. This can help reduce the risk of your eyes getting cataracts, along with other eye damage.

Eat Well

Eating a healthy and balanced diet can reduce your risk of eye problems, since the antioxidants in vegetables and fruit are great for keeping your eyes healthy. If you eat fish which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and take vitamins you’ll also be getting enough nutrients to keep your eyes healthy.

Get your eyes checked

It can be easy to forget to have an eye check up, but you need to ensure that you’re having a comprehensive eye exam at least every two years. This can determine your risk for some of the biggest eye diseases, see if your eyesight is changing or deteriorating in anyway, and ensure that your prescription is up to date for your contact lenses or glasses.

No smoking

Smoking is terrible for your health, but many people are unaware of just how bad it is for their eyes. Remember, all of that toxic smoke is drifting up into your eyes, and if you smoke you have a much greater risk of developing cataracts, cancer, and age-related macular degeneration.

Take breaks

When you’re working at a computer it can be easy to spend hours staring at the screen. Ideally you should look away every few minutes, focus on something in the distance, and close your eye for a few seconds to give them a break. The same goes for reading, although this is not nearly as damaging as staring at laptop screens.

Often when you’re working on the computer you’ll notice that you don’t blink as often, which can lead to dry eyes.

For more information about looking after your eyes, be sure to check out this excellent ebook: http://www.shadestation.co.uk/Vision-Guide.