Most of us take our eyesight for granted. We’re never forced to think about what life would be like without vision. That is until it starts declining or we suffer an eye injury.

Some level of vision impairment is common. Nearly 6 in 10 Americans wear glasses or contact lenses to improve their vision. Some people only need visual aids as they age, and others start wearing glasses early in their youth.

The question we need to answer is how to keep our eyes healthy, regardless of glasses or contacts. Keep reading for our top 9 eye health tips to learn how you can prolong your vision.

1. Wear Eye Protection When Necessary to Prevent Injuries

One of the most obvious eye health tips is to protect your eyes as much as possible. This is particularly important when engaging in activities that pose a  threat of injury.

For example, if you’re working with power tools, safety glasses are a must. Whether you’re using a saw, an angle grinder, or a drill, shards or fragments of material can be thrown into your eyes. This can cause temporary or permanent damage. 

Protective eyewear is also recommended for certain sports, outdoor activities, spray-painting, and more. Use common sense and follow the model of “better safe than sorry.”

2. Regular eye examinations

Eye health is getting worse nowadays because many people don’t have regular check-ups. If you are not getting regular eye examinations, you are putting your eyes at risk. If left untreated, these problems can lead to more serious issues down the line. It’s important to get your eyes checked regularly so that you can catch any problems early on and take steps to address them. Over time, untreated eye diseases can lead to vision loss and other serious health problems. A routine eye examination can help keep your eyes healthy by detecting early signs of eye diseases. You will be able to get treatment for eye diseases early if they are detected early. You will be able to prevent blindness from occurring. You can avoid difficulties by keeping an eye out for early indications of eye disease. Early detection and treatment of eye health issues can help you save time and money. This will maintain your eyes healthy so you may keep working and living a fulfilling life. Additionally, it stops eye conditions from deteriorating, which can necessitate surgery or additional treatments. You must consult with the eye specialists at Drdorioeyecare to protect your eye health and be protected from serious eye problems. In accordance with your needs, they will monitor and treat your visual problems while using expert eye treatments.

3. Use Nutrition to Prevent Macular Degeneration

Did you know you can maintain and improve eye health through diet? There are certain types of nutrients that can help you maintain your vision and prevent macular degeneration. Macular degeneration refers to a condition in which the macula of the eye deteriorates, which leads to impaired vision.

What is the best food for eye health?

The answer includes anything high in vitamins A, C, and E. The mineral zinc is also great for eye health. Common foods with these vitamins and minerals include:

  • Strawberries
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Carrots
  • Broccoli
  • Citrus fruits
  • Spinach
  • Red peppers

If you have a hard time adding these types of food into your diet, pick up some eye health supplements. Vitamins A, C, and E are readily available over the counter. As are zinc supplements.

4. Pay Attention to Your Overall Health

Your overall health plays a large role in eye health, which may come as a shock. There are many chronic diseases that can affect your eyes, even though they seem unrelated.

For example, high blood pressure can cause excessive inflammation. This inflammation can travel throughout your body, even affecting the optic nerve. Too much inflammation in the optic nerve will cause pain, impaired vision, and even a loss of eyesight.

5. Give Your Eyes a Break From Screens

Technology is a wonderful thing. Constant access to the internet provides education and up-to-date information about current events. We also use it for entertainment and communication like the world has never seen.

However, too much screen time can also lead to depression, which is pretty common knowledge. However, did you also know that looking at screens for too long can impact your eye health?

Therefore, one of the most important eye health tips is to follow the 20-20-20 rule. This is especially important for people whose jobs require a computer.

The 20-20-20 rule suggests taking a break from your screen every 20 minutes. During this time, you should stare at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.

6. Learn More About Hereditary Issues That Run in Your Family

Many eye health issues are hereditary. As such, take some time to learn more about the eye conditions that run in your family. Learning about the conditions you might be susceptible to will help you prepare for them in advance and take steps to lessen their impact.

Common hereditary eye conditions include retinal degeneration, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and optic atrophy. Talk to your eye doctor to learn more about what you can do to limit the effect of these diseases.

7. Adopt a Daily Fitness Routine

You might be surprised to learn that staying fit can help you improve your eye health. It’s true, having a six-pack won’t lead to better eyesight. However, preventing type 2 diabetes will do a considerable amount for your eye health.

Type 2 diabetes is much more common in people who are overweight or obese. This disease can cause damage to the blood vessels in your eyes, resulting in diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy can cause blood and other fluids to leak into your eyes, which will harm your vision.

8. Protect Your Eyes From the Sun

Wearing sunglasses is one of the easiest eye health tips. It’s not just about avoiding the obnoxious glare or looking cool. Direct exposure to the sun can be detrimental to your eye health.

Too much sun exposure can lead to macular degeneration, cataracts, and pterygium. Invest in a pair of high-quality sunglasses that filter out 99% or more of the sun’s UVA and UVB radiation. Check out Clearly.ca for a wide selection of glasses at super low prices.

9. Be Careful While Touching Your Eyes With Your Hands

One of the most crucial eye care health tips is to pay closer attention to your hand hygiene. The average person touches their face 23 times in a single hour.

Unfortunately, this is often done with unwashed hands full of germs and bacteria. Even if you only have dirty on your hands, rubbing your eye could introduce the abrasive substance, which could be very painful. If there are germs or bacteria present, it could lead to an infection.

10. Consider LASIK Surgery to Improve Your Vision

Finally, if you suffer from a hereditary condition or want to maximize your eye health, consider a surgical approach. An elective surgery like LASIK can help you regain your eyesight without needing to wear glasses or contacts.

LASIK is laser surgery to correct certain visionary impairments such as myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. However, as an elective surgery, you’ll most likely have to pay for it out of pocket.

Looking for More Eye Health Tips?

As you can see, there are a lot of eye health tips you can follow to protect your vision and prolong your eyesight. We hope this guide helps you implement some effective habits.

And if you’re looking for more health tips, fitness advice, or lifestyle guidance, you’re in the right place. Take a look through the rest of our blog before you go to find everything you need to improve your quality of life.