Sharpen your eyesight with these 4 easy tricks

Often times some people forget the importance of maintaining eye health. In fact, daily habits such as staring at gadget screens, to the hobby of reading in the dark can endanger eye health. If allowed to continue, it is not impossible over time your vision ability will decline. Therefore, consider the simple ways below to maintain the ability to see and maintain the health of your eyes.

Various ways to maintain eye health

Caring for eye health does not need expensive and complicated methods. You can do most of the tips below anywhere and anytime.

Here are various easy ways that you can try from now on so that your eyes are always healthy and awake:

1. Eating nutritious food

The easiest way to keep your eyes healthy is to eat foods that are healthy for your eyes. Fill your plate every day with food sources high in omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, to carotenoids.

Carotenoids are included in the antioxidant family that are not only good for the eyes, but also can help boost the immune system and protect the body from disease.

You can meet all of these nutrients from foods that are healthy for your eyes, such as carrots, oranges, green leafy vegetables (spinach, mustard greens, broccoli, green radish), nuts, eggs, fatty fish (salmon, tuna, sardines), and so on.

Maintaining your diet is also beneficial so that you avoid the risk of obesity and diseases such as type 2 diabetes, which is one of the main causes of blindness in adults.

2. Avoid cigarette smoke

Did you know that cigarette smoke is not only harmful to the health of the lungs and heart, but also has a bad effect on the eyes? Yes, not many realize that smoking can also cause eye irritation.

According to the New York State Department of Health website, smoking is often associated with the following health problems:

• Macular degeneration: Smokers have a 3-4 times higher risk of developing macular degeneration.
• Cataract: Heavy smokers who smoke more than 15 cigarettes a day have a 3 times higher risk of having cataracts in their eyes.
• Glaucoma: Smoking is often associated with high blood pressure, cataracts, and diabetes, all of which are risk factors for glaucoma.
• Diabetic retinopathy: Smoking also increases the risk of developing diabetes, so the likelihood of developing diabetes complications such as retinopathy is also greater.
• Dry eye syndrome: Active smokers also have a greater chance of developing dry eye syndrome.

If you don't immediately avoid smoking, especially if you have been exposed to one of the conditions above, it is possible that eye disorders can end in blindness. Therefore, stop smoking as soon as possible to maintain eye health, especially if you are young.

If you are not an active smoker, you still need to avoid exposure to secondhand smoke from people around you. Being a passive smoker or secondhand smoker can be as dangerous as an active smoker.

3. Wear sunglasses outdoors

It's not just your skin that you need to take care of while you're in the open space, your eyes are too. However, of course this is done in a different way.

When the weather is hot or even a little cloudy, you should wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from exposure to UV rays of the sun.

Glasses equipped with anti radiation lenses can help protect your eyes. Excessive UV radiation exposure increases the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. Therefore, choose glasses that can block UVA and UVB rays by up to 99 percent.

Make sure the lenses can protect your eyes as a whole by choosing lenses that cover your eyes from the front and sides. Good quality sunglasses can reduce glare while driving so they don't hurt your eyes.

If you wear contact lenses, also choose lenses that have UV protection. Or, you can stick with your sunglasses for added protection.

4. Wearing goggles while swimming

There are still many people who may underestimate the importance of wearing swimming goggles to maintain eye health. In fact, with proper use, swimming goggles are useful to prevent you from the risk of irritation and allergies due to exposure to various bacteria and chemicals in the water.

Plus, wearing goggles helps you to see and be more aware of your surroundings while in the water. In addition, swimming goggles will also act as a barrier to foreign objects from injuring your eyes.

People who have dry eyes, sensitive eyes, visual disturbances (such as plus or minus eyes), or have recently recovered from certain eye diseases should also always wear swimming goggles. You can ask for a special prescription from your eye doctor and order special swimming goggles, according to your condition.

5. Adjust the room lighting accordingly

Another way to keep your eyes healthy is to adjust the lighting in the room. Doing activities in a well-lit room can increase concentration, productivity, and morale than in a dimly lit room.

Good room lighting can also maintain eye health. Because too bright can make glare, while light that is too cloudy makes vision blurry. Both can make your eyes tired over time.

There are several other risks that may occur if you are active or like to read in a dark room. Your eyes can dry out because in low light your eyes blink less frequently. Dry eyes can make your vision uncomfortable.

When adjusting indoor lighting, you also need to adjust to the current eye health conditions. People who have refraction problems (minus, plus, or cylinder eyes) may need special lighting settings to see properly. Likewise with those who have vision problems such as cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, and other vision conditions.

Here are some tips for choosing room lights that are good for eye health:

• Avoid installing light bulbs with bright fluorescent light.
• Install lighting that leads under the eyes.
• Choose a light bulb with a small wattage that emits a warm light that mimics natural sunlight.

Lighting in space is important. However, you also shouldn't forget the importance of natural sun rays. Natural lighting is proving to be the most energy efficient lighting tool than artificial lighting.

In addition, natural lighting in the room also provides much better lighting, without causing eye glare like incandescent or fluorescent lamps. That way, you can be comfortable doing your activities without worrying about the health of your eyes.

6. Avoid looking at the screen gadget too long

It is impossible today to do activities without the help of electronic devices and gadget . However, make sure you don't use the gadget for too long.

Staring at the computer screen and gadget too long can result in tired, dry, and tense eyes. Apart from experiencing eye problems, you can also be affected by several other disorders such as:

• Blurred vision
• Difficulty focusing from a distance
• Headache
• Neck, back, and shoulder pain

Rest your eyes every 20 minutes. Take a short walk to avoid severe eye fatigue. If you're a computer worker, try to take a walk every 2 hours for 15 minutes.

You also need to maintain good posture when doing activities in front of a monitor screen or gadget so that your eye health is not disturbed. Use a comfortable chair that is neither too high nor too low.

7. Doing eye exercises

Eye exercises can be done to help maintain eye muscle health. You can do this in the morning, before bed, or when your eyes feel tired.

Here are the steps you can try to do eye exercises:

• While sitting relaxed, close your eyes and move them up as far as you can. Hold for a few moments, then lower the "gaze" downward. Repeat a few times then open your eyes and look around.
• After that, close your eyes again. Keeping your eyes closed, look to the right and then the lyrics to the left. Repeat several times, changing direction.
• Open your eyes and look around. Then, close your eyes again. Now, look diagonally from top right to bottom left while closing your eyes, then switch from top left to bottom right. Repeat several times. Open your eyes.
• Finally, close your eyes tightly and then blink a few times.

8. Get enough sleep

Having adequate and quality sleep is very important to maintain eye health which will affect to improve vision.

Sleep can help your eyes to rest completely. After a day of activities, the eyes need time to repair and recover. When you are sleep deprived, your eyes don't automatically have enough time to rest. This condition can cause your vision to slowly weaken.

Plus, lack of sleep can cause your eyes to feel itchy, dry, and even your eyes look red. This is because the eyes do not produce enough tears due to lack of sleep. As a result, the eye is also at risk for infection.

So make sure you get enough sleep at night. You can also adjust the lighting in the room that is comfortable and not too bright, so that it is easier for you to fall asleep.

9. Exercise regularly

Another way that is no less important to care for your eyes to stay healthy is to exercise regularly. How can?

Many eye diseases or disorders are associated with other health problems, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. So, enough physical activity can keep you from the risk of these diseases, so that your eyes are always healthy.

Exercise can also reduce the risk of glaucoma by 25%. Plus, exercising 3 times a week also reduces your chances of developing macular degeneration in old age.

You don't need to do strenuous or high-intensity exercise. Simple activities such as walking and going up and down stairs are also sufficient, especially if done regularly.

Remember to wear sunglasses with UV protection when doing outdoor sports.

10. Routine eye examinations

Eye examinations are not only done when you already have eye problems. However, this needs to be made a habit and done regularly.

The reason is, eye examinations can help monitor how well your vision is, and detect eye problems early on. Even if you don't have any symptoms or complaints at this time, a proper examination can help you spot any asymptomatic eye problems.

Regular eye checks can also tell you whether your current eyeglass prescription is no longer accurate and needs updating.

Those were the tips for maintaining the health of your eyes. Begin to commit to yourself to do the tips above, so that your eyes are always healthy and able to see well.