Your eye is an important part of your health. Most people rely on their eyes to see and make sense of the world around them. But some eye diseases can lead to vision loss, so it is important to identify and treat eye diseases as early as possible. And just as it is important to keep your body healthy, you also need to keep your eyes healthy.
We’re constantly being bombarded with magazine articles advising us on how to take care of our health, our skin, our hair and even our feet, but very little attention is paid to our eyes. And that’s a shame, given how much we depend on our vision in our everyday lives.
Just think about how much your eyes work from the moment you wake up until you close your eyes at bedtime. That’s why taking care of our eyes is so important.
Although taking care of your eyes might seem pointless if you don’t have any vision problems, adopting a few easy habits will not only preserve your vision, but will also decrease your odds of developing eye problems in the future.
Eye Care Tips
There are things you can do to help keep your eyes healthy and make sure you are seeing your best:
1. Eat a healthy, balanced diet. Your diet should include plenty or fruits and vegetables, especially deep yellow and green leafy vegetables, eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids.
2. Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or having obesity increases your risk of developing diabetes. Having diabetes puts you at higher risk of getting diabetic retinopathy or glaucoma.
3. Get regular exercise. Exercise may help to prevent or control diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. These diseases can lead to some eye or vision problems. So if you exercise regularly, you can lower your risk of getting these eye and vision problems.
4. Wear sunglasses. Sun exposure can damage your eyes and raise your risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Protect your eyes by using sunglasses that block out 99 to 100% of both UV-A and UV-B radiation.
5. Wear protective eye wear. To prevent eye injuries, you need eye protection when playing certain sports, working in jobs such as factory work and construction, and doing repairs or projects in your home.
6. Avoid smoking. Smoking increases the risk of developing age-related eye diseases such as macular degeneration and cataracts and can damage the optic nerve.
7. Know your family medical history. Some eye diseases are inherited, so it is important to find out whether anyone in your family has had them. This can help you determine if you are at higher risk of developing an eye disease.
8. Know your other risk factors. As you get older, you are at higher risk of developing age-related eye diseases and conditions. It is important to know your risk factors because you may be able to lower your risk by changing some behaviours.
9. If you wear contacts, take steps to prevent eye infections. Wash your hands well before you put in or take out your contact lenses. Also follow the instructions on how to properly clean them, and replace them when needed.
10. Give your eyes a rest. If you spend a lot of time using a computer, you can forget to blink your eyes and your eyes can get tired.
Take care of your eyes and let them take care of you!!
Written by: Chiamaka Nwoko
