9 Ways to Maintain Good Eye Health

By Scarlet Gratton

Most of us neglect eye health until we start noticing vision issues. However, in order to ensure your eyes are in top condition throughout your life, you need to maintain the health of your vision organs every day. Luckily, you don’t need to change your life radically in order to ensure your eyes are healthy. Here are a few easy ways to practice good eye health.

Sport some good sunglasses

If you love spending time outside, you’re doing much good for your health. However, while the sun is generally good your body, there are harmful ultraviolet rays that can damage your vision. So, whenever you’re spending a day outside, make sure to put on some good sunglasses equipped with UVA and UVB protection. If you combine them with a wide-brimmed hat, you’ll greatly reduce the amount of UV radiation that reaches your eyes.

Practice healthy screen discipline

Most of us use digital devices from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep. While very practical, these devices are constantly bombarding our eyes with a high-energy blue light that not only creates eye strain but also can result in serious vision damage. So, if you can’t give up your computer and smartphone, make sure to keep them at least 20" away from your eyes. Additionally, place the top of your computer screen just below the eye level and position your lighting in a way that prevents glare on the screen. Also, taking frequent breaks from your screen (try practising 20-20-20 rule) to rest your eyes. If you notice excessive eye dryness, you can keep a bottle of eye drops in your bag to soothe irritation.

Use safety gear

If you handle any sort of hazardous materials or airborne particles at work or at home, grab a good pair of safety glasses or goggles. Additionally, people who practice any type of contact sport like hockey, lacrosse or racquetball also risk eye injury. There are specialized protective glasses and helmets with face masks that will keep your eyes protected from the hits.

See your ophthalmologist

In order to ensure complete eye health, make sure to see your ophthalmologist regularly. This will not only ensure your vision is 20-20, but thorough eye exams can diagnose diseases like glaucoma that are almost impossible to notice yourself. If you spot these eye diseases early, they are easier to treat.

Practice good contact lens hygiene

Your doctor will also ensure you get proper glasses or contact lenses. Once you know your prescription, you can find contact lenses online and get them delivered directly to your doorstep—no fuss! However, even if you pick the highest-quality lenses, you need to practice good lens hygiene. Make sure your hands are clean before taking them out and keep your lenses in specialized cases. Also, try to stick to contact lens replacement schedule your eye care professional prescribed.

Create optimal conditions for your eyes

If you have especially sensitive eyes, get a humidifier for your office or home that will keep the air moist and minimize eye dryness. If you have pets, clean after them regularly (pet dander can be a huge eye irritant for some).

Eat well

Eye health often starts from within. So, make sure to fill your fridge with foods rich in antioxidants, vitamins A and C, leafy greens, veggies and fish. Fish should be a frequent visitor to your plate because it’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids that ensure good health of the central vision. On the other hand, if you load up on saturated fats, overly processes foods and alcohol, you will fill your body with free radicals that harm your retina. A high-fat diet can cause fat deposits on arteries and restrict blood flow to your eyes. And since eyes have a very small number of blood vessels that feed them, this can be very harmful.

Ditch smoking

Tobacco smoke exposes your eyes to high levels of stress. While scientists are still unsure about the connection between smoking and eye health, there is evidence of increased risk for a variety of eye conditions in smokers. Sure, ditching cigarettes
can be hard, but there are various programs, apps and support groups that can help you persevere.

Get enough sleep

While you sleep, your eyes refuel with nutrients. So, if you don’t get enough rest, it can result in eye dryness or watery eyes, irritation, eye fatigue and blurred or double vision. Try to schedule your sleep and hit the bed at the same time every day. And, make sure to leave your smartphone, laptop and tablet in the living room. This will create a habit that will do you so much good in the long run.

You won’t need to give up anything good in your life in order to boost your eye health. You’ll certainly notice many benefits of these practices and you won’t even think of returning to your bad eye habits of the past.

Scarlet Gratton is a passionate writer and regular contributor at ripped.me interested in fashion, lifestyle, and health. She loves traveling, you could say that she is a real travel addict, especially when she has a chance to visit some exotic destinations. She would tell you that inspiration can be found in the most unexpected places.