DURBAN – Eyesight is a sense that people fear losing the most yet many do not know the best methods of eye-care. Taking care of your eyes is not at all difficult, in fact it can be easily incorporated into your daily routine.
Let’s look at ways to protect your beautiful blinkers:
1. Eat for good vision
Protecting your eyes starts with what you eat. Nutrients and vitamins, known to boost eye strength, leads to good eye health.
2. Quit smoking
When it comes to eye health, people who smoke are at a greater risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, uveitus and other eye problems.
3. Wear sunglasses
The right kind of sunglasses would help protect your eyes from the sun and daily contact with pollutants. Too much UV exposure makes one prone to attract cataracts and macular degeneration.
Choose sunglasses that block 99% to 100% of both UVA and UVB rays. Wraparound lenses help protect your eyes from the side. Polarized lenses reduce glare when driving.
4. Look away from the computer screen
Staring at your computer screen for too long can cause eyestrain, blurriness, trouble focusing, dry eyes.
If your eyes are dry, blink more and at 20 minute intervals, rest your eyes by looking 6m away for 20 seconds. At least every 2 hours, get up and take a 15-minute break.
5. Use safety wear
If you work with hazardous or airborne materials at work or at home, wear safety glasses or protective goggles.
Certain sports can also lead to eye injury. Wear eye protection (such as helmets with protective face masks or sports goggles with poly-carbonate lenses) to shield your eyes.
6. Keep fit and exercise
Keeping fit and exercising regularly can help circulate a healthy blood flow and keep your eyesight in meticulous condition. Exercise yields best results with a healthy diet plan.
7. Go for regular check-ups
You should get your eyes examined regularly, especially if there is a family medical history and if you are at risk. An eye examination also can ensure that your prescription for glasses or contact lenses is up to date.
A comprehensive eye examination might include: Talking about your personal and family medical history, taking vision tests to see if you are nearsighted, farsighted, astigmatic (a curved cornea that blurs vision), or presbyopic (age-related vision changes).
