Kaboutjie SA Mommy Blogs by Lynne Huysamen
The eyes are one of the most essential organs of the body. Like you take care of your physical health, your eyes also need to be taken care of. Regular checkups and prevention measures may help to preserve the health of your eyes. Eyesight can deteriorate due to medical conditions or genetic causes, but it does not mean you cannot do something to prevent it. There are a number of natural ways you can implement to avoid poor vision.
Bad habits such as excessive screen time, reading in low lights or genetic eyesight problems may lead to poor eyesight. Take a look at how you can improve and safeguard your eyes against diseases and poor eyesight.
- Minerals & Vitamins
Vitamins are extremely important for good eye health. Vitamins A, C & E provide good benefits for the eyes and minerals like Zinc help maintain good eyesight.
These vitamins and minerals contain antioxidants that are essential in the prevention of macular degeneration in which the macula (the part of the eye that controls central vision) deteriorates.
Incorporate these foods into your diet routine to maintain good eye health.
- Red peppers
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Spinach
- Strawberries
- Sweet potato
- Citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits
- Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon and flaxseeds
- Carotenoids
Carotenoids are pigments responsible for colour in vegetables and fruits. Eat foods rich in carotenoids such as leafy vegetables, zucchini, broccoli and eggs. These power packets play an important role in the prevention of eye diseases.
Carotenoids are very important for kids eye development as well. So start using these nutrients if your kid shows any signs of poor eyesight. You can even take carotenoids in the form of supplements.
- Manage chronic conditions
Chronic conditions such as inflammation of the optic nerves and high fluid pressure in the eyes can cause pain and sometimes complete loss of vision. In case the condition worsens, consult a doctor immediately and buy a free Travatan Z coupon from PricePro Pharmacy which is among the best medicines to reduce fluid pressure in the eyes. While these conditions can’t be prevented, you can try to manage the symptoms with healthy habits and medications.
- Exercise regularly
By doing at least 30 minutes of exercise or workouts thrice a week, you can help regain your eyesight. Try going to green spaces such as a park to exercise. Exposure to greenery has shown to improve eyesight naturally.
- Remember the 20-20-20 rule
If you are constantly exposed to computer screens due to work or leisure activities, your eyes might need a break. To reduce the strain on your eyes due to exposure to screens, follow the 20-20-20 rule.
This rule suggests that you need to take a break from the screen after every 20 minutes by looking at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This is a great exercise for the eyes recommended by experts.
- Keep hands and lenses clean
Eyes are extremely sensitive organs as they are prone to infections and germs. Simple things might be the cause of infections in the eye and may result in poor eyesight. So try to wash your hands before touching your eyes or wearing contact lenses.
- Wear protective eye gear
Eye injuries may happen due to many unforeseen circumstances. Simple activities like household chores and playing sports can result in eyes being affected. If you are working in a hazardous environment, handling dangerous machinery or substances it’s best to wear protective gear to prevent damage to eyes from dust, debris, or harmful chemicals.
Remember to wear safety glasses, goggles, face masks or shields and helmets depending on the task you are working on.
- Have regular checkups
Having a complete examination is best to determine the health of your eyes. An eye examination can detect symptoms of oncoming problems such as glaucoma and macular degeneration.
- Quit smoking
It is already established that smoking is harmful for a person’s health. However people don’t realize that smoking is the cause of many eye diseases as well. Smoking can be the cause of cataracts, age-related macular degeneration and uveitis. Smoke from cigarettes is also bad for eyes as it can cause itching to the eyes and can make eyes dry. So quitting smoking would be a good option to avoid eye diseases and most of all, cancer.
- Create surroundings for your eyes
There are so many things around us that can be bad for the eyes. Try to create surroundings that are soothing for the eyes such as green spaces.
According to colour therapy, there are certain colours that are good for the eyes and can help improve vision such as green and yellow. Create green space around you, for example, you can paint a wall in your workspace with green or yellow which can be soothing to look at. Or go out to parks with greenery whether to play, exercise, study or even work.
Keep blood sugar in check
If you have diabetes or have a family history of Diabetes then it becomes necessary to keep your blood sugar in check. Keeping blood sugar in the normal range might slow down any damage to tiny blood vessels in the eyes. Go for an A1c blood test that shows blood sugar level over the past 2-3 months. Keep yourself hydrated as water is fuel to organs of the whole body.
Check for High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is an enemy to the body. It greatly impacts the eyes as well. If you have diabetes and high blood pressure, you need to be more careful about your health. High blood pressure may affect the blood vessels in the eyes and can result in poor vision or sometimes loss of vision.
Consume superfoods
According to traditional medical science almonds, walnuts, fennel seeds are some of the superfoods that have many benefits for the whole body, especially the eyes. Consume them in raw form or in combination with any fruits.
