Don’t take your eyes for granted. Protect your sight with these tips:
A. Eat for Good Vision
Protecting your eyes starts with the food on your plate. The nutrients such as omega3 fatty acids, lutein, zinc, and vitamins C and E might help ward off age-related vision problems such as macular degeneration and cataracts, studies show. Eating regularly, these foods can help lead to good eye health:
- Green, leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach and collards
- Salmon, tuna, and other oily fish
- Eggs, nuts, beans, and other non-meat protein sources
- Oranges and citrus fruits or juices
Eating a well-balanced diet also helps you maintain a healthy weight which makes you less likely to get obesity-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is the common cause of blindness in adults.
B. Quit Smoking
Protect your eyesight
Smoking makes you more likely to get cataracts, optic nerve damage and macular degeneration. If you tried to quit smoking before and started smoking again and keep trying. The more times you try to quit smoking because the more likely you are to succeed.
C. Wear Sunglasses
The use of right kind of sunglasses will help protect your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays.
Too much exposure on UV makes you more likely to get cataracts and macular degeneration.
Choose sunglasses that block 99% to 100% of both UVA and UVB rays. Wrap around lenses will help protect your eyes from the side. A polarized lenses reduce glare when driving.
If you wear contact lenses, some offer UV protection. It’s still a very good idea to wear sunglasses for more protection.
D. Use Safety Eyewear
If you are working with hazardous or airborne materials on the job or at home, wear safety glasses or protective goggles every time.
Certain sports such as ice hockey, racquetball and lacrosse can also lead to eye injury. Wear eye protection (such as helmets with protective face masks or sports goggles with polycarbonate lenses) to shield your eyes.
E. Look Away From the Computer Screen
Staring at a computer screen for too long can cause:
- Eyestrain
- Blurry vision
- Trouble focusing at a distance
- Dry eyes
- Headaches
- Neck, back, and shoulder pain
Taking the following steps to protect your delicate eyes:
- Make sure your glasses or contact lens prescription is up-to-date and adequate for computer use.
- Some people may need some glasses to help with contrast, glare, and eye strain when using a computer.
- Position your computer so that your eyes are level with the top of the monitor. This will allows you to look slightly down at the screen.
- Try to avoid glare on your computer from windows and lights. Use anti-glare screen if needed.
- Choose a comfortable, supportive chair. Position properly that your feet are flat on the floor.
- If your eyes are dry, blink more.
- Every 20 minutes, rest your eyes by looking 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Very at least every 2 hours, get up and take a 15-minute break.
