Many people are guilty of neglecting their eye health each day. Yet, various eye diseases can cause sight impairments or lead to vision loss. While it is important to maintain a healthy weight and strong body, you must not underestimate the importance of caring for your eyesight.
A few changes to your lifestyle could keep your eyes healthy throughout the decades. Read these tips on how to protect your eye health.
Protect Your Eyes from UV Rays
The sun can improve your general health in various ways, from boosting your vitamin D absorption to lifting your mood. However, you must protect yourself from its harmful UV rays. In addition to shielding your skin from the sun using sunscreen and clothing, you must protect your eyes from UV damage.
For example, if you wear daily contact lenses, shield your eyes from the sun by wearing UV contact lenses. Also, improve your sun protection by wearing UV-absorbing sunglasses. By doing so, you can avoid blindness, irreversible damage and lower your cataract risk.
Quit Smoking ASAP
Smokers have an increased risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of sight loss and cataracts. If you smoke cigarettes each day, you may damage the optic nerve, which could cause to color defects in your vision. Protect your eyesight by aiming to quit smoking as soon as possible. For example, you could:
- Try nicotine replacement therapy
- Talk to your doctor about prescription pills to curb cravings
- Avoid smoking triggers
Maintain a Healthy Weight
If you are overweight or obese, you will increase your risk of a diabetes diagnosis. Diabetes can cause various health complications that can impact your longevity and quality of life, as it may lead to cardiovascular disease, kidney damage, nerve damage, and eye damage. For example, people living with diabetics will have an increased risk of developing diabetic retinopathy or glaucoma. Adopt a balanced diet, monitor your calorie consumption, and incorporate more physical activity into your lifestyle to maintain a healthy weight.
Follow a Healthy, Balanced Diet
Improve your eye health by following a healthy, balanced diet each day. Introducing green leafy vegetables and deep yellow produce can help your vision remain in tip-top health.
Also, omega-3 fatty acids can decrease your risk of various eye diseases and treat dry eye syndrome. Incorporate the following foods into your diet:
- Salmon
- Halibut
- Tuna
- Mackerel
- Oysters
- Herring
- Sardines
If you add the above items to your plate, you are less likely to develop macular degeneration, glaucoma, and cataracts.
Exercise Regularly
Regular exercise can prevent various health issues that can cause vision problems. For example, routine workouts can prevent high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol. Therefore, you can enjoy better vision throughout your life and decrease your risk of permanent damage, blindness, or partial blindness.
If you are one of the many people guilty of neglecting their eye health, it’s time to right this wrong as soon as possible. So, quit smoking, exercise regularly, adjust your diet, and protect your eyes when in the sun. Another great option to maintain a healthy appearance around and under the eyes is to look into a microneedling treatment. A microneedling treatment under the eyes is a non-invasive cosmetic procedure that requires little downtime, and provides excellent results.
