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We can all agree that navigating the world on a daily basis would be much more challenging without proper vision. Our eyesight is a vital sense, something we couldn’t imagine functioning without. Yet many of us take this essential organ for granted, going about our days without giving too much thought to how our habits and actions affect our vision.
If you’re looking to step up your eye care routine and ensure optimal sight, here are seven healthy habits to pick up for better eye health.
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Invest in proper eye protection
Whether you’re spending time indoors or heading outside, investing in proper eye protection is a must. By simply wearing proper eyewear, you can manage to reduce the risk of certain eye conditions. It can also help you retain optimal vision for longer while also preventing potential injuries to the eye.
A good place to start is to get into the habit of wearing sunglasses with UV protection whenever you’re outside. If you work with power tools or otherwise handle equipment that could pose a safety hazard, put on protective gear. The same goes for playing sports that could potentially cause body and eye injuries. Finally, if your job involves spending hours in front of a screen, be sure to get blue light blocking glasses.
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Improve your contact lens hygiene
Part of reducing the risk of eye damage is improving the way you handle your contact lenses. Contacts can be a great alternative to glasses, but they do carry certain risks you need to be aware of. Many of us are familiar with the dangers of wearing contact lenses for prolonged periods of time. We also understand the risks of applying the contacts prior to washing our hands.
What many of us don’t realize is that even something seemingly harmless such as wearing certain over-the-counter contact lenses could be detrimental to our eye health and vision. The same goes for improper handling and storage of the contact lenses. To stay safe and improve your contact lens hygiene, stick with the following tips.
- Avoid reusing a solution or using an expired one
- Keep your contact lens case sterilized
- Don’t wear your contact lenses exclusively – instead, wear eyeglasses to give your eyes the much-needed break
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Include regular eye exams into your schedule
Healthy habits such as taking steps to prevent irritation and infection are vital for ensuring better eye health. That said, there’s only so much you can do on a daily basis to prevent eye damage. Sometimes, preserving optimal vision is a matter of scheduling eye exams on a regular basis.
According to experts for LASIK surgery in New York, some of the most common eye conditions can go unnoticed. This is why preventative care is so important – it can help detect serious eye diseases early on. By visiting an eye health professional, you can ensure you get the necessary treatment – even if there are no clear symptoms yet.
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Manage your screen time
Living in the digital age has made digital technology a big part of our daily lives. While this has ensured a sense of connectedness and made our lives much easier, it does have its drawbacks. For starters, being constantly surrounded by digital devices can make us feel isolated. Excessive exposure to digital technology can also cause an individual to experience a range of unpleasant symptoms. These include everything from eye strain to blurred vision to headaches.
While eliminating technology altogether is unrealistic, limiting screen time certainly isn’t. And during those hours when you need to use electronic devices, keep in mind the 20-20-20 rule and practice it.
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Make workouts a part of your daily routine
Many of us associate physical activity with weight loss and maintaining fitness levels. However, regular workouts can also do wonders when it comes to preserving good eyesight. This is because regular physical activity helps boost circulation to the eyes while reducing intraocular pressure. This, in turn, helps ward off eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration.
While it can be easy to find excuses not to engage in physical activity, do your best to make it a part of your daily routine. Aim to work out moderately, at least three to four times per week or thirty minutes every day. Just make sure it’s an activity you enjoy since you’ll be more likely to stick with your workout regimen.
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Pay attention to your diet
Just like exercise, our diet plays a vital role in maintaining our overall health and wellness. It also has a significant impact on our sight. Certain foods such as the ones rich in vitamin A can help reduce the risk of blindness. Vitamin C-rich foods are effective at warding off cataracts while vitamin E slows down conditions such as age-related macular degeneration.
If your main concern is to reduce damage to the retina caused by blue light, load up on lutein. Beta-carotene can help prevent eye infections, Zeaxanthin boosts protection from the sun, while omega-3s boost overall vision.
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Ditch bad habits
Focusing on introducing the right foods into your diet is a great way to ensure better eye health. That said, your eyesight along with your overall health could also benefit from you ditching certain bad habits. This is especially true when it comes to smoking. Not only does it wreak havoc on your entire body, but it’s also detrimental to your eye health.
Studies show that smoking increases the risk of multiple eye problems, including blindness, dry eye syndrome, and diabetic retinopathy. The risk of developing conditions such as macular degeneration only increases in individuals smoking one pack or more per day. By eliminating this bad habit altogether, you’ll be making a huge step not just in terms of your eye health, but also your overall well-being.
Wrapping up
Our eyes, just like any other organ in our body, require proper care and protection in order to function properly. Fortunately, this is simply a matter of picking up several healthy habits and practicing them on a regular basis. Stick with the tips above, and you should have no problem maintaining good eyesight for years to come.
