Our eyes are some of our most precious organs – so we should be doing all we can to take care of them! However, in today’s world, it can be difficult to find the time to really take care of our eyes. But did you know you can improve your eyesight without contacts or glasses? Have you ever tried eye exercises, or proper nutrition for your eyes? Keep reading to find out some simple things you can do every day to improve your vision naturally and fast.
More than ever, we are using our eyes to stare at small type and images on computer screens, televisions, and cell phones – which leads to eye fatigue and an increase in age-related eye problems. But diminished eyesight does not have to be an inevitable part of living long. Follow these three tips to sharpen your own vision so you can see your way to a future of longevity.
"Feed" your eyes.
Eyes are just like any other part of the body – they need nutrition to function at an optimal level. Similar to other organs, a diet high in fruits and vegetables and low in sugar and fatty foods will go a long way in maintaining healthy eyes.
Vitamin A, C, an E, along with minerals like copper and zinc should be in your daily diet. These vitamins and minerals are essential for good vision and protection against disease. Eat strawberries, oranges, eggs, salmon, mackerel, and almonds for your vitamins, and oysters, crab, or turkey for your minerals.
Antioxidants such as beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin help protect your eyes from getting sun damage. You can find these antioxidants in dark leafy vegetables, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and carrots.
Garlic, onions, and caper should be in your diet to get sulfur, cysteine, and lecithin, which protect the lens of your eyes from forming cataracts.
Blueberries, grapes, and goji contain anti-inflammatory properties, such as anthocyanin, that will help improve your vision.
About 1,000 mg of omega-3 fatty acids per day will help prevent macular degeneration (AMD) and dry eyes. Salmon, mackerel, herring, flaxseeds, and walnuts are high in omega-3 fatty acids.
Exercise your eyes.
Exercising your eyes daily will help you maintain healthy eyes and optimal vision. Plan to exercise your eyes when you wake up, before going to bed, or when your eyes are fatigued. Make sure your hands are clean so that you do not irritate your eyes and your mind is relaxed before starting.[2]
Start simple. Roll your eyes in a circular motion clockwise ten times and then reverse it counterclockwise for another ten rolls.
Place your thumb (or a pen) six inches away from your nose and stare at it for five seconds. Then, five seconds on an object immediately behind your thumb. Try to do this ten times for about a total of two minutes. This is something else you can do at your desk quickly at work.
Rub your palms together for heat and then placing them against your eyes for five to ten seconds. Repeat this procedure three times to keep your eyes warm.
Massage your temples, forehead, and just below your eyes by using your thumb knuckles in a small circular motion for about twenty times in each area.
Rest and relax your eyes.
Since you use your eyes every waking moment give them lots of rest and relaxation by taking breaks throughout the day and getting enough sleep every night to fully rest, repair, and recover your vision. A lack of sleep will weaken your vision health.
Shut down for about three to five minutes. Close your eyes and lean your head back while trying to clear your mind of thoughts.
Focus on an object that is twenty feet away for twenty seconds. This is the same test you are administered to check for 20/20 vision.
Try resting your eyes for at least ten minutes for every fifty minutes you spend in front of a computer screen, television set, or reading a book. Take a quick nap if necessary.
Get enough key vitamins and minerals
Vitamins A, C, and E, as well as the mineral zinc, contain antioxidants that can help prevent macular degeneration. It’s a condition in which the macula — the part of the eye that controls central vision — deteriorates.
Food sources for these important nutrients include a variety of colorful vegetables and fruits, such as:
carrots
red peppers
broccoli
spinach
strawberries
sweet potato
citrus
Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and flaxseed, are also recommended for better eye health.
A few other nutrients are also keys to improving eyesight. Among them are lutein and zeaxanthin, which are carotenoids found in the retina. You can also find them in leafy green vegetables, broccoli, zucchini, and eggs.
Lutein and zeaxanthin can also be taken in supplement form. These carotenoids help protect the macula by improving pigment density in that part of the eye, and absorbing ultraviolent and blue light.
Stay fit
Yes, exercise and maintaining a healthy weight can help your eyes, not just your waistline. Type 2 diabetes, which is more common in people who are overweight or obese, can cause damage to the tiny blood vessels in the eyes.
This condition is called diabetic retinopathy. Too much sugar circulating in your bloodstream injures the delicate walls of your arteries. Diabetic retinopathy causes the very small arteries in your retina — the light-sensitive back part of the eye — to leak blood and fluid into the eye, harming your vision.
Getting your blood sugar levels checked regularly and staying fit and trim can lower your odds of developing type 2 diabetes and its many complications.
Diabetes isn’t the only disease that can affect your vision. Other conditions, such as high blood pressure and multiple sclerosis, can affect your eyesight. These conditions are linked to chronic inflammation, which can harm your health from head to toe.
Inflammation of the optic nerve, for example, can cause pain and even complete vision loss. While a disease such as multiple sclerosis can’t be prevented, you can try to manage it with healthy habits and medications.
High blood pressure can be effectively treated with a heart-healthy diet, exercise and antihypertensive medications.
Sunglasses aren’t just for looking cool. Wearing shades is one of the most important steps you can take when it comes to improving your eyesight. You want sunglasses that block out 99 to 100 percent of UVA and UVB radiation from sunlight.
Sunglasses help protect your eyes from conditions that stem from eye damage. These include cataracts, macular degeneration, and pterygium — a growth of tissue over the white part of the eye. Pterygiums can lead to astigmatism, which can cause blurred vision.
Wearing a wide-brimmed hat can also help protect your eyes from sun damage.
Some eye conditions are hereditary, so being aware of eye conditions that your parents or grandparents had can help you take precautions.
Hereditary conditions include:
glaucoma
retinal degeneration
age-related macular degeneration
optic atrophy
Understanding your family history can help you take early precautions.
Your eyes are especially vulnerable to germs and infections. Even things that just irritate your eyes can affect your vision. For those reasons, you should always wash your hands before touching your eyes or handling your contact lenses.
It’s also super important to wash your hands and disinfect your contact lenses as instructed.
You should also replace your contact lenses as advised by the manufacturer or your doctor. Germs in your contact lenses can lead to bacterial infections of the eyes.
You may not associate washing your hands, eating your vegetables, or watching your weight as key steps toward better eyesight, but they all play a role.
Living a healthier lifestyle and protecting your eyes from the sun and foreign objects can’t protect against every eye condition. But they can all lower your odds of developing a problem that could hurt your vision.
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Supporting your eye health is just one of the many benefits of getting enough sleep and taking breaks during the work day. While you shouldn’t be sleeping on the job, it is still important to rest your eyes once in a while! If you work on a computer all day, your eyes are probably under a lot of strain. Do yourself (and your eyes) a favor by taking a break for about 10 minutes for every 50 minutes spent in front of the screen. Simply close your eyes for a minute or get up and walk around the office. Focus on something that isn’t a screen.
You can also rest your eyes by following the 10-10-10 Rule. This means you should look at something 10 feet away for 10 seconds for every 10 minutes you spend working on the computer!
Additionally, getting around eight hours of sleep a night is incredibly important for your eye health. If your eyes are well-rested, they will be in much better condition! If you currently do not sleep enough or take enough breaks at work, try it out for a week and see the difference it can make!
