The eyes are the window to your soul.
— William Shakespeare
If your eyes aren’t bothering you…you probably don’t give them a second thought. As long as you can see fine – you think everything is fine. But we only have one pair of eyes. Think for a moment how drastically your life would change if you lost your vision. More than any of our other senses we rely on sight. Now…are you thinking about your eyes?
There are many things we can do to help improve the health of our eyes. Here are some of my top tips:
1. Wear sunglasses. Sunglasses will help protect your precious peepers from the harmful UV rays of the sun. Don’t skimp on the sunnies. Buy a really good pair that block out 100% of UVA and UVB rays. And wear them consistently. They don’t do you any good sitting in their case. And remember…even cloudy days can damage your eyes.
2. Don’t stare at the computer screen for hours at a time. Make sure you take breaks during the day. Every 20 minutes look away from your screen and focus on a point 6 meters away for at least 20 seconds. Remember to position your screen so you are looking down on it slightly. And try to avoid glare which can add to eye strain. Invest in a glare screen if necessary.
3. If you smoke – QUIT. Did you realise that smoking puts you at increased risk for developing cataracts as well as macular degeneration? If those aren’t good reasons to stop smoking…what are?
4. Eat your greens. Green, leafy veggies are full of things like lutein, zinc and Vitamins C and E which are all great for your eyes. Salmon, tuna and other oily fish are great sources of Omega 3’s which your eyes love. Remember that a healthy diet leads to a healthy weight which reduces your risk of Type 2 diabetes…a leading cause of blindness in adults.
5. Ophthalmologists are your eyes best friend. Many conditions like glaucoma have no real symptoms…so without regular visits to your eye doctor you may be creating big problems for your eyes down the road. Ophthalmologists and optometrists can help diagnose issues early when they are easily treated. So protect your two most important sensory organs and see a specialist today.
A little care, a lot of love and some basic routines will help keep your eyesight clear and the windows to your soul polished and spotless.