All of us know how important it is to keep ourselves healthy, mostly through proper diet and an active lifestyle. While it’s relatively easy to maintain good physical health if you know how to, many of us often take other parts of our body for granted – including our eyes. Our eyes need special care especially now that we are living in a digital world where looking at screens is the norm.
Reports reveal that millions of people, including school-age children, are at a high risk of having computer vision syndrome or CVS. Such a visual condition not only affects your eyes but also causes adverse effects on your neck and back as well as headaches.
Although some think their eyes are healthy just because they don’t wear contacts or glasses, many of them do not realize they do have eye problems. It’s just that they do not know about it because they don’t have regular eye checkups in the first place. Likewise, a lot of people often ignore symptoms such as dry eyes and frequent squinting – which are actually symptoms of conditions that can cause permanent damage to the eyes.
It’s not that screen time is all bad. In fact, it helps us keep entertained and is a great way to acquire information. But the downside is too much exposure to screens, including smartphones and laptops, may lead to adverse eye health problems in the long run. That is why proper eye care is important, especially in the digital age.
Here are some tips you should follow in taking care of your eye health:
1. Have regular eye check-ups
Even if you are not experiencing eye problems as you think, it is still best to have regular eye checkups to ensure a healthy eyesight. Likewise, regular checkups (preferably on an annual basis) can determine pre-existing eye conditions you may actually have. This way, proper medication can be provided.
2. Do eye exercises
These will help keep your eyes relaxed and strain-free. They can also aid in preventing vision problems and having dry eyes. Eye exercises you can do include eye rolls, eye squeezes, and looking away from the screen from time to time.
3. Make it a habit to drink lots of water
Alkaline ionized drinking water not only can keep your eyes hydrated but also has antioxidants that can help improve the immune system and better vitamin absorption. Thankfully, alkaline ionized water is readily available for consumption with water ionizer products.
4. Put cucumber slices on your eyes
Cucumber contains caffeic and ascorbic acids which aid in preventing inflammation and water prevention. For better results, put slices of cold cucumber on your eyes for about 10 minutes before sleeping. This will help prevent eye puffiness and keep your eyes relaxed. You can do this method when your eyes feel tired and stressed.
5. Keep air quality in your home or office at its maximum
In cold areas, a lot of offices and homes use heating systems. But these can make air dry, which can cause eye dryness and itching. In such cases, it is advisable to avail of a humidifier to maintain air moisture and prevent the mentioned eye problems. More importantly, make sure that the air circulating at home or in the office is clean to prevent eye irritation.
6. Eat healthy
More than anything, eating a sensible diet is crucial for a healthy eyesight. Foods that can help with your eye health include green leafy veggies that help prevent macular degeneration. Blueberries help reduce eye fatigue while carrots have beta carotene that aids in having good vision. Taking eye health supplements can help as well.
7. Wear protective glasses
Not only can wearing glasses help improve your vision, they are also equipped with UV filters and blue light to protect your eyes. Wearing sunglasses can help reduce glare and exposure to UV rays, while many athletes use protective goggles during their games as eye protection.
8. Give your eyes a break
A lot of people work with computers, which puts them at a higher risk of eye problems due to prolonged screen exposure. The same goes when we use our smartphones and tablets for long periods of time. In such cases, it is advised to blink every 30 seconds. Also, make it a habit to do the “20-20-20” rule – looking 20 feet for 20 seconds every 20 minutes.
