Eye Health

What is eye health?

Your eyesight is probably the most important of your five senses. Eye health goes hand-in-hand with general health, and being conscious about eye health maintain eye function, protect your eyes against harmful light, and reduce the development of age-related degenerative diseases. The most common eye conditions include cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. Your risk of developing these diseases depends on your age, genetics, chronic diseases, and lifestyle.

What are some tips to maintain eye health?

Eat well

Good eye health starts with the food on your plate. Nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zinc, and vitamins C and E might help ward off age-related vision problems like macular degeneration and cataracts. To get them, fill your plate with:

• Green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, and kontomire
• Salmon, tuna, and other oily fish
• Eggs, nuts, beans, and other nonmeat protein sources like egusi.
• Oranges and other citrus fruits or juices
• Oysters and pork

A well-balanced diet also helps you stay at a healthy weight. That lowers your odds of obesity and related diseases like type 2 diabetes, which is the leading cause of blindness in adults.

Quit smoking

It makes you more likely to get cataracts, damage to your optic nerve, and macular degeneration, among many other medical problems. If you’ve tried to kick the habit  before only to start again, be persistent. The more times you try to quit, the more likely you are to succeed.
Secondhand smoking, or constantly being around people who smoke exposes you to the same risk.

Wear sunglasses

The right pair of shades will help protect your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. Too much UV exposure boosts your chances of cataracts and macular degeneration.

Use safety eye-wear

If you use hazardous or airborne materials on the job or at home, wear safety glasses or protective goggles.Sports like hockey, racquetball, and lacrosse can also lead to eye injury. Wear eye protection. Helmets with protective face masks or sports goggles with polycarbonate lenses will shield your eyes.

Look away from the computer screen

Staring at a computer or phone screen for too long can cause:

• Eyestrain
• Blurry vision
• Trouble focusing at a distance
• Dry eyes
• Headaches
• Neck, back, and shoulder pain

To protect your eyes:

• Make sure your glasses or contacts prescription is up to date and good for looking at a computer screen.
• If your eye strain won’t go away, talk to your doctor about computer glasses.
• Move the screen so your eyes are level with the top of the monitor. That lets you look slightly down at the screen.
• Try to avoid glare from windows and lights. Use an anti-glare screen if needed.
• Choose a comfortable, supportive chair. Position it so that your feet are flat on the floor.
• If your eyes are dry, blink more or try using artificial tears.
• Rest your eyes every 20 minutes. Look 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Get up at least every 2 hours and take a 15-minute break.