When thinking about health and fitness, you might be more preoccupied with your weight, muscle strength, and cardio exercises. These are all very important, but don’t forget about other areas of your body that are essential, such as your eyes. If you are lucky enough not to have pre-existing issues with your eyesight, you might take your great vision for granted. However, if you don’t look after your eyes properly, you’re more likely to develop issues later in life, so here are a few tips on how you can help to keep your eyes healthy.
Wear Sunglasses
Sunglasses are more than just a fashionable accessory; they also help to protect your eyes from the bright glare of the sun. You know you should never look directly at the sun, and if you ever have, you will have experienced the spots appearing on your vision as the light is too intense for your eyes to handle. Even a bright reflection of the sunlight on a window, car, or on the surface of the water can make you squint, so wearing sunglasses on bright days will help keep your eyes protected.
Visit Your Optician Regularly
If you don’t have issues with your eyes, you might not need to go for eye tests as regularly, but you should still try to do this once every couple of years nonetheless. If you notice that your eyes are starting to strain more to see objects, this could be a sign you need glasses. Other issues are irritation, tired eyes, headaches, blurred vision, double vision, and if you are starting to squint more to see. If you’re a senior citizen and notice these issues, it could be a sign of cataracts, and you might need to have a cataract lens implant if this problem progresses.
Look at Your Lifestyle
Another way to keep your eyes healthy, as well as the rest of your body, is by looking at your lifestyle. Try to avoid eating foods that are high in salt and fats, and make sure you’re not consuming too much alcohol. If you’re a smoker, you should also make an effort to quit, as this bad habit can affect your eyes as well as increase your chances of developing various diseases. Citrus fruits, fish, leafy greens, nuts, and sweet potatoes are all examples of foods that can promote good eye health.
Remove Eye Make-up Before Bed
If you wear make-up, you should have a makeup remover and an eyelash adhesive glue. You should always wash your face and use skin-sensitive cleansers to remove it before you go to bed. This will make sure your pores don’t get clogged with foundation and other cosmetics, which can result in spots and other skin irritation. Your eyes are no different, and if you leave on mascara, eyeliner, or eyeshadow overnight, this can also lead to eye irritation or infection in a worst-case scenario.
Always Wash Your Hands Before Touching Your Eyes
You might not notice how many times you rub your eyes during the day, especially if you’re tired. However, try to pay attention to this more and avoid doing this unless you have washed your hands before you do. Your hands will pick up all kinds of bacteria and muck, and although most of it’s harmless, if you’re not careful, you could end up with an infection. Additionally, you might have handled an irritant that could hurt your eyes, such as chili peppers when cooking, bleach when cleaning, and so on.
If you want to maintain good vision for as long as possible, use these tips to help you take care of your eyes.
