Caring For Your Eyes Better with 7 tips
Eye exams and vision tests are an important part of a person’s overall health. Experts recommend seeing an optometrist or ophthalmologist regularly to keep tabs on any changes in vision and to catch any potential health issues as early as possible. In addition, there are some basic lifestyle choices such as eating healthy, getting plenty of exercise and not smoking that can all help keep your eyes fit and fine.
In August, the industry celebrates National Eye Exam month which is a month dedicated to promoting the importance of eye health and safety.
Being able to see clearly plays a big role in a person’s efficiency and functionality of day to day tasks and workplace productivity. Here are 7 tips on what you can do to protect your vision and avoid eye-related health problems:
1. Visit an eye care practitioner regularly
- Do an eye check-up every 6 months to 1 year if you are having vision problem.
- If there are no vision problems, do visit an eye care practitioner every 5-10 years during your 20s and 30s.
- If there are no vision problems, do visit an eye care practitioner every 2-4 years between the ages of 40 and 65.
- If there are no vision problems, do visit an eye care practitioner every 1-2 years after the age of 65.
2. Remove your contacts out at the end of the day.
- Avoid wearing contact lenses for more than 19 hours.
- Never sleep with your contact lenses on.
- Do not swim while wearing contact lenses.
3. Remove your eye makeup at the end of the day
- Remove eye makeup daily to avoid it from clogging the eyelid pores and causing a sty build-up.
4. Get plenty of sleep.
- Inadequate sleep contributes to eye fatigue.
- Common symptoms include eye irritation, difficulty focusing, dryness or excessive tears, blurred or double vision and light sensitivity.
5. Place cucumber slices on your eyelids to reduce puffiness.
- Press cold cucumber slices gently against eyelids for 10-15 minutes before going to sleep at night to help treat and prevent eyelid and under eye puffiness.
6. Follow the 20-20-20 rule when you are working on a computer.
- Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet (6.1 m) away for 20 seconds.
7. Eat foods that contribute to good eye health.
- Vitamins C and E, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, and omega-3 fatty acids are supplements that could boost eye health.
References:
1. 5 Easy Tips in Keeping Your Eyes Healthy, Which Most of us Are Unaware of. Universiti Putra Malaysia.
2. Tips to Prevent Vision Loss. Centre’s for Disease Control and Prevention.
