5 Tips on Maintaining your Eye Health

Sep 15, 2014 in Eye Care

5 Tips on Maintaining your Eye Health

While you ensure that you make time for exercise and staying fit, how often do you think about your eye health? Most people only worry about their eyes if a problem crops up, whether it’s itchy eyes or dry eyes or trouble with vision. However, paying attention to your eye health regularly can prevent many eye ailments. Here are our 5 tips on maintaining your eye health.

1) Protect your Eyes

Since prevention is better than cure, make sure that you protect your eyes on a daily basis. Your eyes are vulnerable to the effects of UV rays, and continuous exposure to bright light and sunlight damages your eyes’ natural lens. Wear sunglasses every time you step out in the sun. Make sure that you choose a pair that blocks at least 99% of UVB rays and at least 95% of UVA rays; avoid sunglasses labelled as ‘cosmetic’. Apart from the sun, the dry air in your home or office can also cause eye dryness and irritation. Use a humidifier to control air quality indoors. Lubricating eye drops can help protect your eyes from dryness and irritation; make sure you buy prescription eye drops.

2) Eat Right

You are what you eat, so it’s no wonder that the food you eat affects the health of your eyes. Beta-carotene (a type of Vitamin A) is essential in maintaining your eye health and you can find it in carrots and other orange coloured fruits and vegetables. Leafy greens such as kale, spinach and romaine lettuce are all high in lutein and zeaxanthin, both of which have been found to lower the risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Egg yolks are also high in these two nutrients. Vitamin C arrests the onset of cataracts and can be found in citrus fruits (oranges, limes, lemons) and berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries). Almonds are high in Vitamin E, which also slows macular degeneration, as does omega-3 fatty acid found in salmon, tuna, sardines and halibut.

3) Take a Break

If you work long hours in front of your computer screen, you must guard against Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), which leads to eye strain, headaches, dry eyes, double or blurred vision, vertigo etc. Take frequent breaks; remember the 20-20-20 rule – every 20 minutes, spend 20 seconds looking at an object 20 feet away. Position your monitor at least 20 inches from your eyes and get an anti glare screen.

4) Adopt a healthy lifestyle

Quit smoking, as it increases your chances of getting cataracts, optic nerve damage and macular degeneration. Check your caffeine intake; more than two servings of a caffeinated beverage (tea, coffee, cola drinks, energy drinks) a day can dry out your eyes and cause irritation.

5) Get your eyes checked regularly

Regular eye tests can help in detecting any eye ailments quickly, so that preventive and corrective measures can be taken. Book an eye test with Leightons Opticians and let our trained staff advise you about what’s best for your eyes. If your eye test reveals that you need glasses, we have a wide array of designer frames to choose from. Alternatively, you can choose to wear contact lenses, and we will help you with the correct eye care practices for using your contact lenses optimally. So drop by at your nearest Leightons branch; together we will keep your eyes healthy for years to come!