Did you know that your brain can identify images that you’ve seen for just 13 milliseconds? Our eyes play a huge role in processing the world around us, and without them, it’d be very challenging to carry out everyday tasks!
What makes our eyes even more valuable (and fragile) is the fact that we only get 1 set. While cornea transplants are possible, you can’t receive full eye transplants, so once your vision is gone, it’s completely gone.
Because of this, it’s vital that you take good care of your eyes. By knowing how to keep your eyes healthy, you can keep seeing the world in a clear and easy fashion, even in your old age.
Here’s your ultimate guide to caring for your eyes!
Wash Your Hands Often
This is an important tip for not just your eye health, but your overall health.
We touch a wide variety of surfaces during the day, and there are bacteria and dirt everywhere. If you don’t wash your hands, the bacteria can multiply, and then when you touch your eyes or other parts of your body, you can get infections.
For example, you can get pink eye, chlamydia, and gonorrhea from touching your eyes with dirty hands. And if they’re left untreated, these diseases can cause long-term damage to your eyes.
Make sure you wash your hands regularly with warm water and soap. For maximum effectiveness, scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds before rinsing them off.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Many people are unaware of this, but your diet can affect your eye health. It’s good to get plenty of green vegetables and fruits in your diet anyway, but these will also boost your eye health. Other foods you should eat to have healthy eyes include eggs and salmon.
A wholesome diet can keep diabetes at bay. And considering this illness is a leading cause of blindness, your chances will look pretty good!
Quit Smoking
If you’re a smoker, you already know how bad this habit can be for your overall health. But it’s also terrible for your eye health! It puts you more at risk for macular degeneration, cataracts, and optic nerve damage.
If you’ve been thinking of quitting, then there’s no better time than now. Your eyes (as well as your body and wallet) will thank you for it!
Wear Protective Eyewear When Appropriate
The sun’s rays can feel nice, but they’re pretty damaging. Not only can its ultraviolet (UV) rays cause skin cancer, but they can also drastically increase the chances of you getting macular degeneration and cataracts.
This makes it very important to wear sunglasses whenever you’re spending time outdoors. Not only that, but you should ensure you get a good pair of sunglasses that are rated for UV protection and are polarized as well. Polarized sunglasses can reduce glare, which can then reduce strain on your eyes.
In addition to sunglasses, you should also wear safety glasses or goggles when you’re working in hazardous conditions or playing rough sports, such as hockey. Protective eyewear will safeguard your eyes from accidental damage from things like shrapnel or an elbow.
Take Breaks When Using Digital Devices
In today’s world, we’re glued to our computers and phones. And our eyes are paying dearly for it.
Do you often suffer from dry eyes and eyestrain? It’s most likely thanks to digital device use. While there are different types of dry eye, many of today’s sufferers have digital screens to point at as a culprit.
Getting immersed in work or an interesting website can make it difficult for you to remember to take breaks, but you need to be diligent about it. Practice the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, take 20 seconds to look at something 20 feet away.
At the very least, remember to blink more. When we’re looking at screens, we tend to blink less, which means our eyes aren’t getting as much lubrication. This leads to dry and itchy eyes.
You should also use a blue light filter to reduce eyestrain. The good news is, most of today’s devices have this feature built in, so just take a look around and put the setting on.
Don’t Use Old Makeup
Some makeup can be pricey, so we understand why you’re hesitating to throw part of your collection away. But because these things are applied to your eyes, then stored away, bacteria can quickly grow, especially if the makeup’s liquid.
In general, you should replace your makeup products every 3 months if you haven’t opened a new product yet. You should also avoid sharing your makeup with other people, as you’ll introduce their bacteria into the mix.
Keeping your makeup fresh will help you avoid painful eye infections.
See Your Eye Doctor Regularly
Most importantly, you need to see your eye doctor regularly. For most people, this is every 1 to 2 years (your eye doctor will tell you the recommended schedule).
An optometrist can check your vision and write you an up-to-date prescription so you can get glasses and contacts if needed. Not only that, but they can be on the lookout for common eye diseases and take prompt action to remedy the situation.
Know How to Keep Your Eyes Healthy
Knowing how to keep your eyes healthy will ensure these organs will serve you well for years to come. And when you have healthy eyes, you’ll secure a future where you can be independent for as long as possible.
So be diligent in caring for your eyes and they’ll reward you. Keep seeing an eye doctor regularly so any issues can be caught early on and taken care of swiftly!
For more on health and wellness, make sure you check out our other blog posts!
