Keeping your body healthy is super important to a long and enjoyable life. While many people focus on joints or weight first, maintaining the smaller, yet still equally important, parts of your body is paramount too. This includes your eyes. Eyes can be susceptible to disease or disorders, but by using these six healthy eye habits, you can protect and prolong your 20/20 vision for longer. Read more below.
6. Drink Lots of Water
Starting our list of healthy eye habits is drinking lots of water. Hydration is important to begin with because our bodies are mostly water, but it can also be super beneficial to our eyes. During the Winter, dry eye can be a concern for many. Drinking water and staying hydrated can help prevent dry eye and keep your eyes less irritated.
5. UV Protection
Fifth on our list of healthy eye habits is UV protection. Protecting from harmful UV rays isn’t just for your skin, but for your eyes too. There are several ways you can protect your eyes from the sun. The best way is to find a pair of sunglasses that provides 100% UV absorption or blocks both UVA and UVB rays. Or, grab a wide-brimmed hat when going outdoors.
4. Annual Eye Exams
Next on our list of healthy eye habits is annual eye exams. While this may seem self-explanatory, there are many people out there who don’t visit the eye doctor annually. The eye doctor isn’t just for prescribing new glasses, but also for making sure your vision is where you want it to be, there are no unknown growths, or any diseases or other problems to be aware of. Eye exams can even sometimes diagnose other diseases.
3. Stop Smoking
Rounding out the top three healthy eye habits is to quit smoking. There is a prominent connection between smoking and the progression of several common eye diseases. Smoking consistently can lead to vision loss and blindness, and surprisingly, people who smoke are significantly more likely to develop AMD than non-smokers. So, maybe it’s time to call it quits.
2. Rest Eyes During Prolonged Screen Use
Second on our list of healthy eye habits is resting eyes during long screen usage. In the age of technology, we constantly seem to be on our phones, tablets, computers, and other electronic devices. However, this can cause eye fatigue, which can lead to other things, such as headaches. Prevent these problems with the 20/20/20 rule from opticians. Every 20 minutes, take a short break and look at something at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.
1. Nutrient-Rich Diet
Last but not least on our list of healthy eye habits is having a nutrient-rich diet. One of the best, and sometimes easiest, things to do for your vision is to eat the right nutrients. For instance, certain vitamins can help slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration. Omega-3s can help prevent or relieve dry eyes, while antioxidants and phytonutrients can help your eyes in other ways. Make sure to add dark leafy greens and fish to your diet.