Your eyes are incredibly valuable parts of your body. That being said, they are easy to take advantage of. Many people go an entire day without giving consideration to how they treat and take care of their eyes. However, neglecting to take care of your eyes can lead to discomfort and even damage to your eyesight in some cases. For these reasons, it is important that you are proactive in caring for your eyes.
If you are looking to take better care of your peepers, here are four things that you can do that will help to keep your eyes healthy and comfortable.
1. Give Them a Break
Many people wear glasses, contact lenses, or both in order to see clearly. While glasses pose very little if any risk to your eyes, contact lenses can become a bit problematic if not worn properly. Moreover, if you are in the habit of sleeping in your contact lenses, this is a habit that you should break now as you are likely depriving your eyes of the oxygen they need overnight.
There is nothing theoretically wrong with wearing contact lenses day in and day out. However, you should only wear them for a maximum of eight hours at a time. It is also a good idea to give your eyes a break entirely one or two days a week. This can help you to avoid starving your corneas of oxygen. It can be helpful to switch to one-a-day lenses like Precision One so that you don’t feel financially obligated to get the most wear out of each pair of lenses.
2. Eat for Your Eyes
Like any other part of your body, your eyes need a specific set of nutrients to continue functioning properly. You can do so much for your eyes by simply adding a few key nutrients into your diet. For example, omega-3 fatty acids are incredibly beneficial for your eyes and might even help to keep your eyes working properly as you age. Maintaining an overall healthy diet can also help ward off type 2 diabetes, which can result in loss of vision in adults.
3. Stop Smoking
Among the many things that can damage your eyes and vision, smoking is one of the worst. Those who smoke regularly are at a much higher risk of eye conditions like cataracts and macular degeneration. This, of course, is not to mention the multiple other health risks that smoking can lead to. If you wish to have the best chances of maintaining the health of your eyes for as long as possible, quitting smoking is the best thing you can do.
4. Step Away from the Screens
Many people are in the habit of staring at the computer or their phone all day, every day. However, screens can put some serious strain on your eyes. Make sure to step away from all screens for a few hours every day to give your eyes a much-needed break.