Taking good care of your eye health

TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOUR EYES AND YOUR EYESIGHT: HERE ARE THE BEST STEPS TO FOLLOW

Other than taking good care of your physiological health and wellness, it is also necessary for you to make sure that your optical functioning is also in good health. This is because if you do not take proper care of your eye health then the conditions of your eye functioning will eventually deteriorate and thus such conditions will lead to vision problems. To avoid vision problems and various other issues in your eyes, try to get an appointment with your experienced ophthalmologist or with an expert healthcare professional who would be able to get your eyes tested and will help you know whether you are developing any kind of eye problem and then you will be able to get those optical problems treated easily.

It is highly important to take good care of your eyes because they are a vital part of the human body that allows for seeing, so if any damage occurs, it would be a major problem. Thus you need to follow certain steps that would be useful for you to keep your eyes in good health. this article will help you to know a series of guidelines that are important for taking good care of your eyes. Read the article till the end and follow these steps for a healthier and clearer vision in your eyes.

Steps to take care of your eyes: Here is what you need to do

When you are trying to make sure that your eyes are in good health, you will have to go through certain steps that will be beneficial for your overall eye health. Here is a list of similar types of guidelines that will help your eyes function better and improve your optical health.

1. Get your eyes tested regularly:

Any organ of your body should be routinely tested by an expert physician so that the organ or the part of the body that is under supervision remains in good health and is functioning properly. The same thing applies to your eyes as well. When you are caring for your eyes, the first and foremost thing that you need to do is to consult an ophthalmologist either annually or twice a year (the frequency of eye consultation will vary based on your eye conditions and based on your needs). When you are under regular eye check-ups under the supervision of your ophthalmologist it will be beneficial for you to know whether you are developing any kind of eye problem or not and if any optical issue is detected, it can be treated at once. Many experts even recommend a regular check-up schedule for your eyes every 1 or 2 years. Ophthalmologists also recommend an eye exam (dilated eye exams for ensuring better eye health) to be done especially for certain people, some of whom include the following:

• People who have acute eye problems

• Those who belong to an age group of 60 or more

• If any person has a genetic history of having glaucoma or any other eye problem.

If you go through the suggested eye tests the doctor will be able to detect the eye diseases that you might be suffering from and that too in their earliest stages and therefore will become easier which will aid in faster recovery of the eyes.

2. Consume a healthy and balanced diet:

The foods that you consume in your daily diet can have a major impact on your overall health. Consuming a healthy and balanced diet that is rich in several healthy nutrients is beneficial not only for your eyes but also for your overall physiological functioning as well. Have a regular diet that is free from junk foods and packaged, overprocessed food substances. Include a lot of healthy fruits and vegetables in the diet that are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other necessary components that would be required to keep your eyes healthy. Having foods that are rich in these components can be beneficial for your eye health because many experts claim that the vitamins and minerals that are present in these foods can help to reduce the risks of age-related macular degeneration or AMD in your eyes along with other eye problems. If you try to improve the condition of your eyes, you consume the foods listed below:

• Eggs- a great source of protein, vitamins, and carotenoids

• Plenty of green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, collards, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, bok choy, lettuce, and so on that are rich in vitamins and minerals along with carotenoids lutein, and zeaxanthin that help to protect your eye health

• Cold water fishes like tuna, salmon, sardines, trout, habitat that consist of a large amount of omega-3 fatty acids, which may reduce the risk of eye diseases

• Vegetables and fruits that are orange in colour such as carrots, apricots, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, and many others that are rich in vitamin A, essential for your eyes

• Fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamin C and citrus nutrients such as oranges, lemons, grapefruit red bell peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, and peaches

• Foods rich in zinc such as different types of beans, lean red meat poultry, and oysters, that will help to protect your retina

• Foods that are high in vitamin E content such as avocadoes, almonds, sunflower seeds, and so on.

3. Consume vitamin and mineral health supplements:

Many people in present times are known to consume vitamins and mineral supplements for better intake of these micronutrients in their bodies. Your body might require these nutrients even after consuming a healthy and balanced diet to function in a better way. Many experts suggest that one must take vitamin supplements because they help in improving your eye health by filling in nutrient gaps. You must take health supplements that will help to reduce the gap of the following nutrients in your body and help to make your eyes function better:

• Minerals like zinc and selenium

• Vitamins such as vitamins A, C, and E

• Omega-3 fatty acids

• Carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin.

But, before taking health supplements, there is one point that you must always try to remember, that is if you are planning to take vitamin and mineral supplements to boost your eye health, you must first consult with your healthcare professional and discuss whether you must consume these health supplements to avoid the risks of side effects.

4. Avoid and/or quit smoking:

If you have a habit of excessive smoking, then it is causing immense damage to your overall health and certainly, your eye conditions as well. Apart from affecting your respiratory system (that is, the lungs) and your heart, smoking can cause significant damage to your eyes as well and can result in the following eye problems:

• Glaucoma

• Optic nerve problems

• Diabetic retinopathy

• Dry eye conditions

• Cataracts

• Eye inflammation or uveitis

• Bulging eyes or Graves’ disease

• Age-related macular degeneration.

5. Perform physical exercises regularly:

Performing physical exercises daily is not only beneficial for your optical health but can also help to improve the overall conditions of your body and help in better physiological functioning. Exercising and working out each day should be a major part of your eyecare schedule. Many experts suggest that exercising is related to better eye health because exercising helps to reduce the risks of developing body fat and thus lowers the risk of diabetes which is truly beneficial for your optical health. Moreover, exercising each day can also help to reduce the risks of various eye diseases like:

• Cataracts

• Glaucoma

• Diabetic retinopathy

• Macular edema.

6. Use protective eyewear and sunglasses:

Try to wear protective eyewear such as sunglasses whenever you are going out in the scorching sun to protect your eyes from the harmful rays of the sun, especially the harmful UVA and UVB rays. Choose sunglasses that would provide maximum UV 400 protection. Apart from sunglasses, you must also try to wear goggles and many other types of protective eyewear that are required for protection from an eye injury. You must wear proper eyewear when working with chemicals, wood, or metal shards.

7. Know about your hereditary problems:

Many people who suffer from eye conditions are known to have various types of hereditary problems, which in fact, are considered to be responsible for the occurrences of these eye conditions. If you have a genetic history of ocular diseases in your family, then you are more likely to develop various types of ocular problems than others who do not have such genes. Here is a list of some common hereditary problems that can affect your eye health:

• Glaucoma

• Optic atrophy

• Strabismus or eye turn

• Amblyopia or lazy eye

• Retinal degeneration

• Age-related macular degeneration.