Tips for Healthy Eyes

Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. Your eyes are your window to the world. These and many more things have been said about our eyes. But how many of us really care for our precious eyes? Frankly, we take our eyesight for granted. It is god gifted and only those who are not blessed with eyesight know its value.

Its time we wake up before it is too late. We are not aware that some eye defects are irreparable, and it may be a permanent loss of eyesight. So let us go through some simple tips that will keep your eyes as healthy as ever.

1. A yearly eye check-up is mandatory.
A visit to your ophthalmologist once a year will be helpful in more ways than one. He will check if you need glasses or contacts and also examine if you have any other eye diseases, like glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration or a simple eye infection. People with a family history of high blood pressure, diabetes or eye disease will need to visit the eye care specialist twice in a year.

2. Be alert regarding your eyes.
You should be watchful about your eyes. If you come across any of the following symptoms, consult your eye care specialist as soon as possible. Some symptoms are: inability to read a complete sentence clearly, blurred eyesight, distorted images, difficulty in adjusting from darkness to light and vice-versa, pain or itching sensation in any or both eyes etc. A quick visit to your doctor will help you to cure the disease faster and will be diagnosed early.

3. Remember to wear sunglasses.
Sunglasses protect you from ultraviolet (UV) rays, wind, bright light and dust. Select a good pair of sunglasses that not only suit your style, but are also good at blocking the harmful UV rays. All leading manufacturers of sunglasses usually have the UV blocking capacity mentioned on the product's label.

4. Eat a well balanced diet.
Certain eye diseases that affect people in specific age groups may have severe effects on them. A well balanced healthy diet decreases the severity and makes the patients comfortable to a certain extent. You must include leafy green vegetables and citrus fruits (antioxidants), carrots, spinach (beta carotene), beef, pork, lamb (zinc) and fish, red meat (selenium) in your regular diet to ward off any deficiency. Thus, you can help preserve your eyesight.

5. Try and avoid accidents to your eye.
People who work with power tools or play sports must wear protective sunglasses while at work. Never rub your eyes if any foreign body has entered or your eyes have come in contact with any acid. Instead, wash your eyes with lots of plain water and rush to your nearest eye care practitioner for a check-up. Avoid reading while traveling or when there is insufficient light.
Last but not the least, common sense is useful when watching television or working on a computer. Remember to blink your eyes while working. This will keep them well hydrated. Take a break to splash your eyes with cold water after every half an hour of work. Keep a distance of at least 8 feet from your television set.

Now you must have realized how easy it is to keep your eyes healthy. So why wait? Start today itself.