In today’s world, many of our lives involve copious amounts of time spent in front of a screen, whether that’s a computer or laptop at work, a phone for social media, or a television for games and entertainment of an evening. It goes without saying then, that our eyes could do with a rest from time to time. If you don’t look after your eyes, you can suffer from both short- and long-term problems, and you might find that the vision loss that comes with age is accelerated. But where do you start? Here are our top tips for keeping your eyes healthy and happy.
Eat the Right Foods
A healthy body comes from a healthy diet and exercise, and your eyes are no different. When it comes to looking after your vision, the best place to start is with the foods you eat. While we all know that we should try to eat a diet packed with essential vitamins and minerals, some are more important than others in strengthening your eyesight. You want to make sure you are getting vitamins A, C, and E, as well as zinc, beta carotene, and omega 3 fatty acids. You can get these from carrots, leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, eggs, tuna, salmon, and dark berries.
Exercise Your Eyes
Once you have your diet in check, you can move onto exercise – yes, you can exercise your eyes! Just as exercising is good for the body, working your eye muscles is also a great habit to get into. If your job entails looking at a computer screen from 9-5, try to make a point of looking away every 20-30 minutes. If you focus on something else for around 30 seconds that is at least 20 meters away, you can dramatically decrease the chances of developing presbyopia – the state of long-sightedness caused by a loss of elasticity in the lens.
Use an Eye Cream
If you can feel the effects of eye strain, it is likely that they also show in your skin. You may experience dark circles, redness, puffiness and fine lines. To remedy this, you may want to use an eye cream with vitamin K, as this helps to boost circulation and aids the body’s natural healing process. Good quality eye creams will also include ingredients like hyaluronic acid, which helps to soften those fine lines that you thought only came with age.
Wear Sunglasses
Sunglasses are not just a stylish accessory; they provide vital protection from UVA and UVB rays. If you already own a pair, check to see whether they provide maximum protection from the sun, as some cheaper pairs only provide the bare minimum. Something to also think about is the size of your shades - when it comes to protecting both your eyes and the skin around them, bigger is always better. And remember to wear them every day in the summer, not just those days you feel are particularly bright.
Check Your Working Environment
Going back to the topic of screens, it can also be a good idea to check your working environment to make sure it is not adversely affecting your eyes. First of all, consider the lighting. Artificial lighting like fluorescent lighting can cause vision loss with long-term exposure, so try to encourage natural lighting where possible. Have your desk near to a window, but make sure the position helps to avoid screen glare. Next, adjust the brightness on your PC screen, as well as the text size and contrast. It also needs to be slightly below eye level and at a distance of at least 20 inches from your eyes.
Protecting your eyes and keeping them healthy and happy should be everyone’s priority in this modern age of technology.
*Contributed post.
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