Your eyes are vital organs in your body, and you should never take them for granted. Although eye complications can occur naturally due to aging, most of the issues are preventable. Nicholas Rutkowski, O.D. is a Bourbonnais general optometry provider and encourages everyone to guard against all types of eye health problems. This is because there is a way you can maintain good eye and vision health even as you age. The following six tips can help you achieve it.
- Have Regular Eye Checkups
This is the best way you can look after your eye health. Note that you should not only go for eye checkups when you have symptoms for certain complications; it should be your routine. This will help your provider look for any signs of complications and note the status of your eye health in order to advise you accordingly. They will give you instructions with a baseline, and therefore, it will be effective in maintaining your eye health.
- Eat Healthily
Although eating well starts with your plate, not every good food you eat benefits your eye. Therefore, you will have to adjust your diet and include food that is good for eyesight in your diet. Ensure that you include proteins, zinc, vitamins, and omega-3 nutrients or other foods as advised by your provider in your meals. Always drink enough water to keep your body hydrated and protect you from having dry eyes.
- Use Protection
Your eyes are so sensitive to the surrounding environment, and you have to take that into consideration. In the same manner you protect your skin from hazards, you need to protect your eyes. One of the basic ways to protect the eyes during summer is wearing sunglasses as prolonged exposure to the sun’s rays can be harmful to your eyes. Depending on the activity you are doing, be sure to find the right eyeglasses for protection.
- Avoid Smoking and Drug Abuse
Experts believe that smoking does not affect your lungs only. Too much smoking can also affect your eye health and cause serious eye complications. For instance, smoking increases your chances of developing cataracts. It is also associated with causing muscular degeneration, which affects your retina.
Some drug abuse also increases your risk of developing severe eye health conditions. In fact, excessive use of some drugs can lead to partial or total blindness.
- Ensure You Get Enough Sleep
Having a good sleep is not only vital for your overall wellbeing but also crucial for your eye health. Staying awake for long hours makes your eyes tired, and some dark circles can develop around the eyes. Even if you take 8 glasses of water a day but remain awake for long hours, you can experience dry eyes. Therefore, it is essential to get enough sleep each night to relax your eye muscles.
- Take Breaks from Screens
In as much as you may love your phone or computer, you should be careful about your eye health and stay off the screens for some time. This is because spending too much time on the screens strains your eye nerves and can cause several eye health related complications. You can also use protective lenses, reduce your screen brightness, and keep the screen at a distance.
Please, don’t ignore your eye and vision health and wait until you experience symptoms before seeing a doctor. Prevention is always better than cure, and since you can prevent some complications, besure to apply the above helpful tips. An eye health expert can help you make the right decision, and you can contact Nicholas Rutkowski, O.D. and Associates for help.
