8 Simple Habits That Could Save Your Eyesight
When it comes to health, you’re ahead of the curve: You take vitamins, exercise regularly, and indulge your sweet tooth moderately. But you may not be paying nearly enough attention to your eyes.
A Bausch + Lomb survey found that while 70 percent of people asked would rather lose a limb than their sight, they do not necessarily know how to take care of their eyes properly.
To help you get your eye health on the right path, we asked top experts for their best tips to maintain healthy and beautiful eyes.
1. Take Out Your Contacts Before Bed
Try as you might, sometimes fatigue (or sheer laziness) causes you to skip taking out your contacts before getting into bed – and you pay for it the next day with dry, red eyes. While you may not think it’s a big deal, experts advise avoiding this pitfall as much as possible because the habit can be more harmful than you think. “Contact lenses make it more difficult for the cornea, the transparent membrane covering the front of the eye, to get oxygen, nutrients, and the lubrication it needs,” says Rachel J. Bishop, MD, MPH, chief of consultant services at the National Eye Institute and the National Institutes of Health. “This causes the eyes to become red, and it may also lead to corneal infection that can eventually lead to vision loss.”
If you still managed to fall asleep with contacts, use a couple of lubricating eye drops before removing them. “This will help relieve the dryness that can cause the lens to stick to the eye,” explains Bishop.
2. Unplug the Computer
Slaving away at the computer all day and then perusing Facebook at night has likely wreaked havoc on your eyes, causing them to become dry and tired. According to the American Optometric Association, these symptoms and blurry vision typically describe Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), an actual condition that affects people who spend two or more continuous hours a day on the computer.
To prevent or control CVS, try adjusting your work station: The computer screen should be about 15 to 20 degrees below eye level, and 20 to 28 inches from the eyes. It also helps to take frequent breaks. “Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds,” recommends Teri Geist, OD, an Optometrist in Omaha, Nebraska, and a spokesperson for the American Optometric Association.
To alleviate dry, red eyes, run a humidifier and use artificial teardrops. Taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements can also help prevent dryness. Talk to your optometrist or ophthalmologist, who can recommend a brand of artificial tears that best suits your needs and the proper dosage for flaxseed oil or fish oil.
3. Don’t Rub!
Rubbing your eyes when you have an itch or they’re feeling strained is tempting, but giving in can pose a number of problems, both immediate and long-term. In the case of allergies, it triggers a nonstop itch-scratch cycle. “Rubbing your eyes can exacerbate the allergies by stimulating the cells that release histamine, which in turn causes redness and itching,” explains Susan Resnick, OD, an optometrist in New York City. You may also be transmitting bacteria and viruses into your eyes, which can lead to infection, or “increasing the chances of inducing astigmatism or changes to the cornea,” Resnick adds.
If you are dealing with allergies, experts recommend treating the allergy first: Take an antihistamine, use lubricating eye drops, or apply a cool compress to the eyes. A prescription for anti-allergy eye drops may also help control inflammation and itching. If it’s a foreign matter that’s causing the itch, flush out the eyes with lubricating eye drops and try not to touch your eyes afterward.
4. Use UV Protection
Just as you protect your skin with sunscreen, you also need to shield your eyes from the sun, especially when you’re near reflective elements like water or snow. “Damage to the eyes from long-term sun exposure cannot be repaired,” says Geist. “Ongoing exposure to UV radiation can cause serious harm to the eyes and age them prematurely. The long-term effects include cataracts, cancer, age related macular degeneration, and damage to the retina.” If your eyes are exposed to excessive amounts of UV radiation over a short period of time, you can suffer from a condition called photokeratitis, or a painful “sunburn” of the eyes.
Luckily, there are plenty of choices in terms of sunglasses. Choose a pair that has 99 percent UVA/UVB protection. If you’ll be somewhere the sun is going to be intense, such as a beach, lake, or snow-covered mountains, it’s best to wear close-fitting wraparound sunglasses to block out as many UV rays as possible.
Those who wear contact lenses may also benefit from lenses with Class I or Class 2 UV protection, which block the stray light that gets under and around regular sunglasses.
5. Clean Your Makeup Brushes Regularly
Eye makeup and brushes are easy to overlook, but regular cleanings can help keep your eyes healthy. “Cosmetic brushes can accumulate bacteria over time, as can old eye makeup,” says Resnick. The bacteria may cause styes, infections of the delicate glands in the eyelids; pinkeye; or conjunctivitis, an inflammation of the membrane that lines the inner surface of your eyelid and outer surface of the eyeball. If you have an eye infection, experts suggest tossing all your eye makeup and tools and purchasing new products.
To prevent potential problems, keep these rules of thumb in mind: Replace your mascara every four to six months and eye shadows every year — sooner if they’re made with a liquid or cream base. Keep track by writing the date you opened the product on a piece of masking tape and sticking it on the product.
Wash your makeup brushes at least once a month with mild soap and water. And never share eye makeup or try samples at stores — both of these habits can introduce unwanted germs
6. Skip the Falsies
Although fake eyelashes are the quickest way to get long and voluminous fringe, they may compromise eye health more than it’s worth, especially if you have sensitive eyes. “Glue-on artificial eyelashes can collect a lot of debris — they’re an unnatural filter for the eyes and act like magnets for oil and bacteria,” says Bishop. If you still opt for falsies, remove them as soon as you get home.
7. Eat Your Colors
Orange (as in carrots) isn’t the only color that helps support the eyes; eating a variety of colors in your diet is essential for optimal eye health. “In general, it’s known that what tends to be healthy for the heart, such as deeply pigmented vegetables and fruit, are also healthy for the eyes,” says Bishop. The reason? Diets that are heart-healthy help stave off chronic conditions such as type-2 diabetes or high blood pressure, which often lead to eye problems.
Research suggests that a colorful array of fruits and vegetables, such as kale, spinach, carrots, and berries, also may help protect the eyes by providing lutein and zeaxanthin, two powerful antioxidants that may decrease the risk of age-related macular degeneration. According to Bishop, these foods also contain vitamins A, C, and E, which help reduce the progression of the disease.
8. Get Regular Eye Exams
Even if you don’t wear glasses or contacts, you should still schedule an eye check-up (yes, really!). According to the National Institutes of Health, a complete eye exam is recommended every five to 10 years for those between the ages of 20 and 39, but if you wear contacts, you should see an eye care professional annually. If you are over 40 and healthy, an eye exam every two to four years is recommended.
Ask for a comprehensive dilated eye exam, which is the best way for your optometrist or ophthalmologist to determine what’s going on inside your eyes. “Most of the diseases that can affect your vision don’t have early warning signs, and a dilated eye exam is the only way to find out,” says Bishop. The dilation lets in more light, which helps the eye doctor to check the health of the retinas and optic nerves in the back of the eyes or detect health conditions.
Reference :
everydayhealth.com