Maintaining your eye health and protecting them from any deterioration rests in your hands. Your eyesight is what helps you see the world, why wouldn’t you want to take care of them?

Now you can’t halt the vision defects that occur past the age of 40 but what you can do is slow down their onset. The risk of these defects occurring only increases with time. Consequently, keeping your eyes healthy now will not only benefit the present but can also help prevent any future eyesight issues.

Not only that, with the advent of computers and everyone spending majority of their day in front of screens, your eyes are under immense pressure. They have to be at the receiving end of blue light emissions, which are extremely harmful rays that cause dry eyes, irritation, headache and even potential cataract and macular degeneration.

Protecting your eye health today, at your age, is imperative and essential.

Here are a few tips to maintain the best eye health:

Check-ups

Regular eye, as well as health check-ups, are recommended and advised as diabetes and high blood pressure are some diseases that affect your eyes. If these are left untreated, they can lead to serious eye troubles like diabetic retinopathy, eye strokes or macular degeneration.

Family History

Some eye health issues can be genetically transmitted so consider these questions to know if you are at a higher risk for vision problems.

Are you above 65 years of age?
Does high blood pressure or diabetes run in your family?

Warning Signs

If your eyes behave unnaturally, pay attention. If you experience double vision, red eyes, difficulty seeing in low light, hazy vision, floaters, eye pain, flashes of light or swelling, see a doctor immediately. These initially harmless signs can cause serious damage to your eyes if not treated in time.

Exercise

Science has shown that exercising regularly, even something as simple as walking, can reduce the dangers of age-related eyesight problems. So put on your sneakers and hit the pavement.

Eating Right

Try and eat foods that contain nutrients like zinc, lutein, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins C and E. Leafy green vegetables (kale, spinach, collards), oily fishes (salmon, tuna), nuts, eggs, oranges, pork, oysters and other citrus fruits are known to contain these nutrients. Make sure to include these in your diet.

Sun Protection

When outside, you must always wear your sunglasses as UV rays emitted from the sun are extremely harmful. Excessive exposure to UV rays can lead to macular degeneration and cataract. Therefore, select a pair that blocks almost 90-100% of UVA and UVB rays and apply sunblock as these rays can also harm your skin.

Put Out the Smoke

You already know the negative health risks associated with smoking. You can now add eye damage to the list. Smoking causes optic nerve impairment, that can lead to cataract, macular degeneration and other medical conditions. Ditch this habit for a more productive life. If you need help quitting, contact your doctor.

And one final tip, if you’re in front of the screen for a long period of time each day, it’s recommended that you get yourself a pair of Computer glasses.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is key to maintaining good eye health. Go for regular eye check-ups and avoid the prospect of things getting out of hand.

Do you take care of your eyes? Tell us in the comments below.