One serious issue that interferes with day-to-day living is vision loss. You wouldn’t believe how frequent it is either. According to projections from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 93 million adult Americans are at high risk of developing visual loss. Even while it’s not always possible to recover lost vision, you may still take preventative measures to keep your eyes healthy in the future.

You may maintain the health of your eyes for many years to come by incorporating these everyday behaviors.

Do you want more health advice? See why eating a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids is good for you, why and how to stop your glasses from fogging up, and which color sunglasses are best for your eyes.

1.Put on some sunglasses

UV radiation exposure to the eyes might harm them over time. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, wearing sunglasses can reduce your chance of developing cataracts, sunburns, eye cancer, and growths around your eyes by blocking dangerous UV rays. The greatest protection from the sun’s rays and the least amount of glare may come from polarized glasses with smoke or gray lenses.

2.Take breaks from your screens

Extended periods of time spent in front of a screen can result in dry eyes, headaches, shoulder and neck pain, blurred vision, digital eye strain, and computer vision syndrome. The 20-20-20 rule is advised by the American Optometric Association as a preventative measure against computer vision sickness. Look at something at least twenty feet away for twenty seconds once every twenty minutes.

3.Take pauses from reading as well

There are other ways to strain your eyes besides screen time. You most likely hold a book close to your nose for extended periods of time as you read. Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a condition in which things up close are clear while distant objects are hazy. It can result from either of these activities. The 20-20-20 guideline is applicable to book breaks in the same way that it is for screen breaks. To ensure that you don’t forget your 20-minute break, set an alarm for when you start getting lost in what you’re reading or doing on the internet.

4.Make a body movement

According to the AAO, regular exercise can improve eye health by encouraging healthy blood vessels and reducing your risk of glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests two days of strength training in addition to at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week. While seated at a desk, you can also do eye exercises to ease stress and pressure on your eyes.

5.Step outside

Even if you receive your recommended amount of exercise indoors, adults and children still need to spend a lot of time outside. Studies reveal that youngsters who play outside are less likely to become nearsighted as teenagers and adults. The whole family may stay active and healthy by playing in the backyard, strolling through the woods, or even playing at the neighborhood playground. Make sure to wear your shades.

6.Avoid smoking

The health risks associated with smoking are widely recognized. The Food and Drug Administration states that it may also raise your chance of eye conditions such cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Smokers are up to four times more likely to develop AMD and have a two or three times higher probability of having cataracts. Future studies could reveal whether smoking cigarettes can also accelerate the development of diabetic retinopathy or induce glaucoma, Graves’ illness, thyroid eye disease, and eye fatigue. Create a plan for quitting to enhance your health.

7.Consume well-rounded meals

Your daily diet can help maintain the health of your eyes. A diet high in beta-carotene, omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zeaxanthin, zinc, and vitamins A, C, and E can promote cellular growth, reduce inflammation of the eye tissue, and reduce free radicals that can harm your eyes.

As advised by the AAO, include some of these foods in your normal diet to ensure that you are getting the proper nutrients for your eyes. Eat balanced meals:

Mangos, ricotta cheese, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes, carrots, and apricots are good sources of beta-carotene and vitamin A.

Vitamin C-containing foods include red bell peppers, grapefruit, oranges, lemons, tangerines, peaches, and strawberries.

Almonds, peanut butter, sunflower seeds, avocados, and wheat germ are good sources of vitamin E.

Omega-3: salmon, tuna, halibut, sardines, and trout.

Collards, broccoli, eggs, peas, kale, spinach, romaine lettuce, and turnip greens are good sources of lutein and zeaxanthin.

Black-eyed peas, kidney beans, lima beans, lean red meats, oysters, fortified cereals, and poultry are good sources of zinc.

8.Refrain from scratching your eyes

Rubbing your eyes a lot could lead to infections or damage to your eyes. Some people may rub their eyes too often or too forcefully due to dry eyes and eye strain. This may result in problems like headaches, inflammation, light and eye sensitivity, decreased or fuzzy vision, and migraines. Avoiding rubbing your eyes is also advised since bacteria or viruses on your hands or fingers can cause conjunctivitis, sometimes known as pink eye. Use saline or eye drops to clean and moisturize your eyes rather than rubbing them. Until you break the habit, fight the impulse to do so and find anything else to occupy your hands.

9.Hands-washing

Before handling contact lenses or touching your face or eyes, you should always wash your hands. Of the approximately 45 million Americans who wear contact lenses, about one in three experience problems. Of those, one in five infections from contact lens wearers result in ocular damage.

Furthermore, you can never be sure what kind of germs are on items you touch after someone has inadvertently infected them. According to the CDC, frequent hand washing can reduce your risk of respiratory infection by up to 21% and diarrheal illness by up to 40%.

10.Remove your cosmetics

The last thing you may want to do before going to bed after a demanding day is take off your eye makeup. According to the Optometrists Network, doing this is good for your eyes and can reduce your risk of developing blepharitis or inflammation of the eyelids.

Adopting healthy cosmetic habits can also help preserve your skin and eyes. Some of these habits include sharing your makeup with no one else, avoiding applying makeup on the inside of your lids, changing your makeup frequently (particularly after an infection), and only using products designed specifically for your eyes. Make sure to frequently wash any brushes or sponges you use for applying eye makeup.

Topics #Eye #Ten Easy Steps