Our eyes are one of the most crucial sense organs that we have and therefore maintaining a good eye health is important. In earlier times, humans used their eyes in an optimal way which kept their eyes and eyesight healthy for years. Their eyes darted in all directions to watch out for danger or scour out food hanging from high trees or hidden under the feet. In short, the eyeballs were ever moving in all directions.
But in current times, the horizons are obstructed, and we focus on screens at abnormally close distances while sitting or standing in unnatural postures for long hours for both work and entertainment.
In short, our eyes are taking the brunt of current urban lifestyles. Conjunctivitis is at a peak and affects many people. However, more than being caused by viruses, it is a direct outcome of the poor health of our eyes.
We must take care of our eyes and ensure that our children are also following basic hygiene to ensure good eye health. Good eye health can be achieved through regular eye exercises, diet, relaxation, and eye-cleansing practices.
Here are seven multi-dimensional ways to keep your eyesight clear and good for life. These ways can help you fight seasonal infections like conjunctivitis.
1. Wash Eyes with Cold water: When brushing your teeth every morning, take cold water in your palms and splash on the eyelids.
2. Eye Makeup Safety Tips: Eye makeup must be removed at night before sleeping, especially mascara that can stick to the lashes. If not removed properly, eye makeup can cause irritation. Even the tiniest speck of eye cosmetics like mascara, eyeliner, or eyeshadow can cause an infection or irritation.
● Be gentle with your eyelashes and the delicate areas around your eyes. Eyelashes are important for keeping dust and dirt out of your eyes. They also keep your eyes from drying.
● Only use cosmetics that are designed for use around the eyes. Avoid products that contain untested or harsh chemicals.
3. Blinking is a good way to keep the eyes moist and acts like the car’s wind shields, cleaning the eyes of impurities, especially in today’s polluted world.
4. Screen time: Your eyes aren’t designed to stare all day at something directly in front of you. Try the 20/20/20 rule, to give your eyes a much-needed break during long work days. If you look at the screen for 20 minutes, you must look at something at least 20 feet away from you for 20 seconds. Additionally ensure that your room is appropriately lit.
5. Diet: Vitamin A-rich foods are best for healthy eyes and eyesight. Foods rich in vitamin A are carrots, spinach, sweet potato, apricots. Vitamin C is also critical to eye health. As an antioxidant, vitamin C helps protect the body from damage. Good sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits, such as oranges, lemons, peaches, tomatoes and strawberries.
Omega-3’s are good for tear function, so eating fish may help people with dry eye. Leafy green vegetables are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin and are important for eye health. Eggs are an excellent source of lutein and zeaxanthin, which can reduce the risk of age-related sight loss. Eggs are also good sources of vitamins C and E, and zinc. Further, water which is essential to life is also vital to eye health.
6. Relaxation: This is important. Mental stress, worries, and anxiety subconsciously tense up the nerves and muscles around the eyes, impairing eyesight. Hence, relaxation, like Shavasana and Yoga Nidra, is important.
7. Exercises: Here are some simple ways to do easy but crucial eye exercises.
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Every morning, and if possible, in the evening, practice eyeball movements to exercise the nerves and muscles around the eyes.
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Sit comfortably in a chair or cross-legged with your back straight and consciously relax your whole body. This is essential.
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Move your eyeballs to the extreme right with awareness of how far to the extreme you can see clearly. With practice, you will notice the span width is increasing.
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Then slowly move it to the left with the same intention of seeing to the extreme left. Blink your eyes three to five times when you reach the maximum extreme vision. Do not strain. Be relaxed. Do five to 10 rounds.
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Similarly, move the eyeballs up and down with blinking. Do five to 10 rounds.
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Then follow the diagonal movement from top right to left down. Five rounds minimum.
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Finally, eyeball rotation in a clockwise and anti-clockwise direction for five rounds in each direction while blinking.
By practising the above, you can achieve good eye health and reduce your chances of using lenses to restore clear vision. These are some simple things that can help an individual strengthen their eye health and improve the clarity of their vision.
Additionally regular eye check-ups are important to ensure whether your eyes are functioning well. Regular eye examination can detect several serious health problems therefore, consult an ophthalmologist on regular basis.
