Despite the vitality of our eyesight, many people still find it difficult to take good care of it. Regardless of whether you are subjected to any symptom or not, everyone should have regular optician reviews. Millions of people suffer from deteriorating eyesight, dry eyes, and other eye discomforts worldwide, yet a fewer percentage of these people have regular check-ups. Below are some of the ways that you can alter your lifestyle by maintaining good eyesight.
Know your Family History – Make sure you know and understand any hereditary condition in your family as this goes a long way in understanding the long-term health of your eyes. Knowing that such condition runs in your family will help you take the necessary steps earlier and to prevent the disease from deteriorating badly in the future. Did you know that most people are not aware that Glaucoma runs in their family? You should be able to protect the future health of your eye health if you Know that you have genetic conditions such as Astigmatism, Type 2 Diabetes, or Myopia. Macular Degeneration is a more critical hereditary disease and is the major cause of blindness in the UK.
Keep an Eye on Your Waistline – Gaining weight can also have some effect on your eyes even if you are not experiencing any discomfort or symptoms. The only part of the body with visible arteries and nerves without cutting through the skin is the eyes. The effect of being overweight can be exposed through the eyes – some of which include symptoms of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or diabetic retinopathy. Thyroid Eye Disease (TED), Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH), Cataracts, and Exophthalmos are some of the other conditions that are attached to obesity.
Eat Well – Healthy eating habit is essential for maintaining good eyesight. An example is the delay of the onset of Cataracts and AMD through the taking of foods rich in lutein which is a vitamin found in leafy greens such as kale. Omega-3 is believed to help reduce the tendency of getting dry eyes and maintain good eyesight into old age. Oily fish like tuna, salmon, and mackerel, are the best food sources for high levels of Omega-3. You can also get improved vision and better eyesight by taking Zinc-rich foods example of which include cheese, milk and poultry.
Be Active – Exercising your body is an essential means of maintaining a healthy BMI, and this does not only help to fight against diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but it also helps to maintain good eyesight. Recent researchers have shown that there is a link between an increased risk of Glaucoma and a sedentary lifestyle. It was shown by research from the University of Wisconsin that people who do exercises regularly are 70% less likely to develop a deteriorating eye disease such as Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).
Quit Smoking – Most smokers don’t show concern about the impact of smoking on the health of their eye though smoking can have serious implications. It was shown in recent studies that there is a link between the development of both Cataracts and AMD and smoking. In fact, smoking impairs the effectiveness of AMD treatment and smokers are four times more likely to develop AMD. In addition to this, heavy smokers are likely to develop more severe cataracts because the risk of developing cataracts is directly proportional to the number of cigarettes smoked.
Entertainment at Home – If you are the type that watches TV and plays video games to relax your, make sure you take breaks and remember the 20/20/20 rule and if you are experiencing double vision, eye irritation, headaches, blurred vision, or neck/back pain, you should always rest your eyes. Symptoms like these are not so serious, and you should recover from them after a break from the screen.
Eye Care in the Workplace – as a worker, you spend the majority of your time at work, and this is when we neglect the care of our eyes. It was recommended by the 2002 Health and Safety Act that employers should provide free eye tests for employees that work in front of a computer. Your employer is obliged to provide you with glasses if you need it to read from a computer screen. The distance between you and the computer screen should be about 20 to 24 inches with the centre of the screen about 10-15 degrees below the line of sight. Always remember the 20/20/20 rule when taking a break. The 20/20/20 rule states that to reduce eye strain, you look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes.
Your Age and Your Eyesight – It is natural for our eyes to grow and struggle to make out words on the screen, newspaper or page of a book. This is caused by presbyopia – this is a common condition in over 40s which does not require the prescription of reading glasses to correct vision. It was recommended to go for an eye check every two years after the age of 40 by both the colleges of Optometry and Ophthalmology. This is not only to check for conditions commonly caused by ageing, such as AMD and Glaucoma, and cataracts, but also to check for presbyopia.
Watch Your Pressure – Check your blood pressure at least once every month. This can be done by yourself at home with a do-it-yourself monitor cuff. If you don't check a high blood pressure, it can result in damage to blood vessels in the eye.
Keep Your Cool – Always reduce the heat in your house. When heat dries out the air in your room, this, in turn, dries your eyes out. You can also make use of a humidifier to add some humidity or even gathering a lot of plants together in the room where you spend most of the time.
Avoid Dry Air – Your car vent should not be directed to your eyes but to your feet to prevent dry air from entering your eyes. If so much dry air enters your eyes, you may suffer from corneal abrasions and even blindness.
Use Protection – To protect your eyes, put on sunglasses whenever you are about to leave the house. Not only will they protect your eyes from the drying effects of wind but they will also block out the harsh glare of the sun.
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