Your eyes are one of the most important organs in your body. The value and importance we place on our eyesight is indisputable. It’s the one function we fear losing the most.
Given that we place a lot of importance on them, it’s only apt that we give them the best care possible. Of course, not all of us are as vigilant as we should be when it comes to our eyesight, and there’s only so much neglect they can really take.
While companies like Optimax now offer different kinds of laser eye surgery, there are still ways you can take care of your eyesight before you decide on having a medical procedure.
Preventing eyestrain
Eyestrain refers to a condition that develops when the muscles around your eyes become tired or strained. There is no injury involved with your eyes, they just become tired. Overstraining can lead to your eyes becoming this way very easily.
The best treatment for this is to give your eye muscles a rest. Close them every once in a while when you’re working, or simply stare into the distance instead. Don’t work in low-light conditions, particularly if you have to read a lot.
Strengthening your eye muscles and improving your vision
There are numerous exercises you can do to prevent your eye muscles from overstraining and can help prevent failing eyesight. Some of them are quite simple, like blinking. If you blink more often, your eyes are kept fresh by the additional brief periods of darkness that you’re submitting them to.
Alternatively, you could practice focusing on varying distances with your eyes. You can do this anywhere, with any object. Focus on something close by to you, like your thumb outstretched about 10 inches away from you.
After a few minutes, switch focus to something in the distance, about 10 to 20 feet away from you. Take a deep breath and continue switching your focus every few minutes, to give your eyes a break.
Nutrition
The most important and effective thing you can do to prevent failing eyesight is to make sure that you’re getting adequate nutrition. You should be eating green foods like spinach, kale and broccoli, which have high lutein content. Lutein is a nutrient that protects your eyes by forming pigments in the macular region.
While carrots may not increase your night-vision ability, like your mother promised it would, they are high in carotene, which is processed into Vitamin A in your body. This helps your vision, by absorbing the light energy that enters your eye.
