Don’t take your eyes for granted. Good eye health ensures better vision – and better vision helps you perform well in all areas of life. Your eyesight starts to take the hit as you age and the chances of needing glasses increase. Whether you need powered glasses for eyesight or not, eye care must be an essential part of your healthcare routine.
Here are some simple eye health tips that you must follow to live a healthier life, and protect your eyes as you age.
Table of Contents
1. Eat Well
One thing you probably don’t know is that a balanced diet isn’t just essential to prevent obesity and cardiovascular issues but also improves eye health. What you eat creates some free-radical reactions in your body, which in turn harm the macula – a part of the retina. The consumption of alcohol, saturated fats, and antioxidants affect eye health.
Over 13 million Australians (55% of the entire population) have one or additional long-run eye conditions. Unhealthy food intake can definitely affect the internal organs, visual impairment, weak metabolism & likewise. You can also learn about your face shape and glasses to ensure that your eye health is not getting affected by the wrong eyewear.
Omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin C and E, zinc, and foods rich in antioxidants help with age-related vision problems. Adding the following foods early in your diet will help you maintain your eye health:
- Leafy green vegetables
- Oily fish such as salmon and tuna
- Non-meat protein-rich foods such as beans, nuts, and eggs
Avoid taking high-fat diets as they hinder the blood flow in the arteries that go to the eyes.
2. Sleep Better
How much and how well you sleep significantly affects your eye health. The first thing to notice after a bad sleep routine is that your eyes feel heavy. Irregular sleep patterns are bad for your eyes and result in deteriorating vision in the long-term. Females experienced a higher prevalence of long-run vision disorders (59%) than males (51%) in Australia.
Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night. Wash your eyes thoroughly when you wake up to remove all toxins and dirt that has been collected overnight.
3. Be Active
Being physically active and exercising regularly will impact your eye health greatly. Exercise improves blood circulation, which leads to better circulation of oxygen to the eyes. Staying healthy and eating right also lowers the risks of many health issues such as obesity and diabetes, which lead to vision problems. Staying active also removes toxins from the eyes. Experts stress the importance of providing culturally sensitive health services and clear referral pathways to attain Australia’s vision of closing the eye health gap by 2020.
4. Quit Smoking
Smoking is almost as bad for your eyes as it is for your lungs. It increases the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts, both of which harm optic nerves. It also exposes your eyes to oxidative stress and other eye health conditions. Tobacco smoking is one amongst the biggest preventable causes of death and illness in Australia with smoking estimated to kill nearly 19,000 Australians a year and accountable for 9.0% of the entire burden of illness in Australia.
5. Wash Your Hands Before You Rub Your Eyes
Most infections in your eyes are transmitted through your hands. Our hands carry a large number of bacteria, which can easily go in your eyes and cause infections such as conjunctivitis. For those who wear contact lenses, washing hands is highly essential to prevent germs and bacteria to get in the lens and eyes.
- Remember to wash your hands with a mild soap before you apply or remove lenses
- Do not rub your eyes when you have a cold
- If you have dry skin or skin diseases, try to keep your hands away from your eyes
6. Visit an Eye Doctor Regularly
The best thing you can do for your eyes is to get a dilated eye exam. This is a simple and painless process to ensure there are no symptoms of eye diseases or infections. Regular eye exams can prevent diseases or help you identify them at an early stage making them easier to treat. People with disabilities and older Australians are usually funded by the govt. and delivered by NGOs and skilled teams.
An eye doctor will also prescribe you protective glasses and safety eyewear if your eyes are exposed to harmful substances at work or excessive UV rays.
To care for your eyes, always choose the best doctor and health insurance for your eyes.
