Need tips on improving your vision and eyesight? Learn how to prevent poor eyesight and to do about it if you already have it.
If you already experience poor eyesight, your best bet is to follow the guidelines of a qualified optometrist. However, there are things you can do to decrease the chance of poor eyesight and maintain the vision quality you currently have.
It’s important to note that a variety of factors affect your eyesight and some are beyond your control, such as age and genetics. But that doesn’t mean you’re completely powerless, and the following tips can help decrease the overall risk of developing vision problems.
Protect Your Eyes
Spending time outdoors or simply leaving the house can be an enjoyable experience for some people. Even so, getting sunlight directly in your eyes can be harmful in the long term due to ultraviolet light.
One of the most important things you can do when going outside during the day is to wear proper eyewear. This includes wearing sunglasses that can block out 100% of UVA and UVB radiation from the sun.
People can experience a variety of eye conditions related to eye damage from the sun. These include macular degeneration, cataracts, and pterygium – a condition that can lead to astigmatism and blurry vision.
Don’t Overexert Your Eyes
Just like your muscles work hard to move your body around, your eyes work hard all day. People who constantly use their eyes to look at computers, phones, or monitors may be straining their eyes even more.
For this reason, you should give your eyes some necessary downtime – and you can do it by following the 20-20-20 rule. If you’re using your computer, then every 20 minutes you should look away from your monitor and stare at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Break Bad Habits
Some lifestyle habits such as smoking are bad for your health – including your eyesight. Smoking can dramatically increase the chance of developing macular degeneration and cataracts.
Still, there is a bright side: once you quit, you can quickly start recovering from harm done by smoking. As you maintain your distance from tobacco products, your blood vessels will benefit and decrease inflammation in the eyes.
Learn About Your Genes
One of the factors that affects eye health is family history, so it’s important to know it so you can take the necessary precautions. Find out if your parents or grandparents suffered from any eye conditions such as glaucoma, optic atrophy, macular degeneration, retinal degeneration, and others.
Knowing about any eye health problems in your family will help guide you to better eye care.
The Outlook
Maintaining healthy eyes is just as important as any other health area. Practice smart habits like wearing sunglasses, taking necessary breaks from screens, quitting tobacco, and learning about your family history.
You can also take eye health supplements like Elements of Health Care’s Eye & Vision Support to boost your vision health. It contains various vitamins and minerals that are known to strengthen overall eye health.
Finally, get regular checkups with a qualified optometrist, especially if you’re experiencing vision problems.