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Here’s How You Can Keep Your Eyes Healthy

190 4 min read

Vision loss is one of the biggest fears of many Americans. According to Johns Hopkins researchers, almost 61 million Americans are at a high risk of vision loss due to age, health, lifestyle, etc. While it’s impossible to prevent the eyes from aging, one can still try to care for and avoid other eye problems.

From getting regular checkups to reducing screen time, we’ve compiled some helpful tips below to ensure healthy eyes.

Eat the Right Foods

Eating the right nutritional foods that promote eye health is important. Vitamin A is essential to eye health. Carrots, squash, and pumpkin are rich sources of Vitamin A. Dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, and collards are rich in an eye-friendly antioxidant called lutein. Including them in one’s diet plan is beneficial for the eyes.

Protect the Eyes

Wear safety goggles when using a hammer or chemicals that could splatter or while participating in any sports activity where the eyes could get hurt. The smallest eye injury could have serious implications, so staying protected is important.

Quit Smoking

Smoking contributes to age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and optic nerve damage, which can further affect the eyes. Quitting smoking is good not just for eye health but for a person’s overall well-being too.

Keep Eyes Clean

Itching, swelling, discharge, pain, and/or difficulty seeing are some symptoms of an eye infection. Keeping the eyes free of bacteria is important. Throw away old makeup and replace mascara every three months to prevent eye infections.

Always wash hands before wearing contact lenses or rubbing eyes. Remove contact lenses before sleeping. Otherwise, it may result in eye infections.

Wear Sunglasses

It’s important to shield the eyes from the sun’s UV rays in summer and winter. Exposure to UV rays causes cataracts and certain cancers. Opt for bigger lenses that block UVA and UVB rays at least 99 percent of the time. Always carry sunglasses while stepping out.

Reduce Screen Time

Uninterrupted screen time can cause dry eyes, headaches, and blurry vision. Breaking up screen time allows the eyes to rest. Use the 20-20-20 rules for this. Every 20 minutes, look 20 feet in any direction away from the screen for 20 seconds.