We visit the optometrist once per year to ensure we can read thanks to glasses, but there’s more to eye care than that. In fact, how much do you really know about caring for your eyes? If it isn’t much, check out the tips below to learn all you can today.
You should try eating a proper diet to better care for your eyes. A good diet for maintaining eye health should include items that contain zinc, Omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, vitamin C, and vitamin E. To get these nutrients, try eating items like dark leafy greens, oily fish, eggs, nuts, and citrus fruits.
Though you may know that during the summer it is a good idea to wear sunglasses, you may not know that it is just as important in the winter. This makes sense because of how much light is reflected by snow. Even when there is no snow, the sun still gives off enough light to illuminate the sky even when it is cloudy.
Eat a healthy diet to help take care of your eyes. Certain foods, particularly those high in vitamins C and E, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids can help protect your eyes as you age. Aim for green leafy vegetables, “oily” fish, beans, eggs, nuts, and citrus foods for best results.
Take dry eyes very seriously if you suffer from this condition. While everyone experiences some dryness, either due to being tired or environmental influences, it can be damaging if it’s happening too frequently. Talk to your eye care professional about possible treatments for your dry eyes, to prevent long-term damage.
When shopping for sunglasses, it is important that the lense says it offers 100% UV protection. It is not enough to just have tinted glass because the sun’s radiation can still penetrate the glass and damage your eyes. UV protection will block out the radiation and protect your eyes from damage.
Wear protective eye gear. Sunglasses are great when it comes to protecting your eyes from the sun, but when you’re on the job and need to protect your eyes from sawdust, debris, or sand make sure you wear tougher eye gear than just a pare of goggles. Goggles are a must-have for anyone working in these kinds of environments.
If you regularly wear contacts, keep a pair of backup prescription eye glasses. When experiencing irritation in the eye, you should remove the contact and wear a pair of prescription eye glasses. Keeping a contact lens in your eye while the eye is irritated can turn this seemingly small problem into something much larger, such as corneal ulcer.
If you start to see more floaters or flashes, see your eyecare professional right away. These may be signs of some deterioration in your eyes. If these go unheeded, it can lead to blindness as you get older. If the conditions are caught early, your eyecare professional can prescribe treatment that can reverse the deterioration.
Don’t smoke. Along with other things, smoking can really damage your eyes. It can cause cataracts, macular degeneration, and optic nerve damage. Not only that, but it is harmful in other ways to other areas of your body. If you are having a hard time quitting smoking, keep trying, it will be worth it when you are successful.
You should always have saline solution in your home. Many people wear protective goggles to shield their eyes at work. However few people bother with goggles for household cleaning. Should soap or cleaning chemicals splash in the eye, one of the first things to do would be to wash the eye thoroughly with saline solution.
Use protective eyewear when working with strong chemicals or you are in an area where airborne particles may pose a danger to your eyes. Many people have sustained eye injuries while doing woodworking projects or being outdoors during very windy weather. You should also wear goggles when swimming in chlorinated water.
Always take out your contact lenses before you sleep. Contact lenses that are left inside the eyes for too long will harbor bacteria growth. You should remove your contact lenses every night and disinfect them properly. Failing to do so will just set you up for more frequent eye infections.
Always wear proper eye protection. Every year, thousands of people end up blinded due to improper protection gear at work. Whenever you are working with chemicals or machinery that can cause small debris to fly, protect your eyes. A simple set of protective glasses can mean the difference between seeing and being blind.
While sunglasses are helpful for protecting your eyes from the sun’s UV rays, it may also be wise to wear a wide-brimmed hat. Wearing this kind of hat prevents any UV rays from reaching your whole face, including your eyes. So, if you know you will be outdoors for a long period of time, wear this kind of hat.
When you want to work with paperwork, you should not use things that make you strain your eyes or anything of that nature. If you walk around during these breaks, you increase blood flow and also re-energize yourself. This helps more blood flow to the eyes and lessens any strain they might be going through.
Eat plenty of greens. When it comes to eye health, carrots are often touted as the vegetable of choice. While it is true that carrots are high in Vitamin A, they are not the only vegetable that can help with vision. Studies show that lutein and zeaxanthin, found in dark leafy greens such as spinach can help improve vision even more.
Practice good makeup hygiene. Makeup worn on and around the eyes, particularly mascara, can be a breeding ground for bacteria. If you want to ensure that your eyes stay clear and free from infection, take a few precautions. Mascara should be tossed after three months. In addition, avoid putting liner inside of the eyelash. This can block the oil glands necessary to keep your eyes protected.
It is important that you visit your optometrist every year to check your vision, but you should also be checking into the health of your eyes. Learning about eye care today will ensure your eyes serve you well tomorrow. Be sure to make use of every tip so you can see the great results.