Taking Care of Your Eyesight
Improve Your Vision and Prevent Sight Decay by using These Tips
Jan 18, 2008
Our eyes are usually put through great amounts of stress – from poor lighting, to strenuous work; from air pollution to potential infections. Here are some ways to help take care of your eyesight. Some changes in your diet, proper lighting and hygienic measures, eye exercises as well as regular check-ups will benefit your vision immensely.
Finish Those Carrots
Rich with vitamin A, carrots were always thought to be able to improve eyesight. However, this has been discovered to be a long-surviving myth. Carrots do help prevent eye infections, though, which makes them a vital part of your diet to protect the eyes. Beta carotene, a substance found in this vegetable, helps reduce the risk of cataract and macular degeneration.
Use Proper Lighting
Poor lighting in a room, when you are reading, watching the television or are using the computer, adds extra strain to the eye by forcing it to adjust to an unfriendly environment. The eyes have to work harder to convey messages to the brain as it is under the pressure of providing sufficient light for proper concentration. Always ensure that the room you are in is well-lit in order to prevent over-tiredness or fatigue to the eyes.
Help Your Eyes Exercise
Eye exercises are the latest vogue in improving eyesight. Dr. William H. Bates, a respected ophthalmologist and author of The Bates Method, designed interesting eye exercises that have been proven to actually improve one’s eyesight. The exercises require concentration and a little practice before the eyes adjust to the optical illusions that are said to improve vision.
Dr Bates’ exercises have been reviewed positively by several ophthalmology and optometric journals such as Journal of the American Optometric Association and American Journal of Ophthalmology.
Use a Facial Towel
Prevent eye infections by using a clean facial towel after every bath or shower. This allows our eyes to only come into contact with clean fabric rather than one that has already been used or has touched other parts of our bodies.
Dust and dirt can easily cling to towel fabric and be transferred to our eyes while trying to clean them. Also avoid rubbing your eyes with your hands, even though you may think they are clean. Our busy hands are breeding grounds for bacteria, especially with untrimmed nails.
Visit Your Doctor for Regular Check ups
Having your eyes checked regularly may sound obvious but not many people do visit their optometrist for regular check-ups. Our eyesight deteriorates rapidly once we start allowing our eyes to strain and in the technology millennium - we are just allowing them to suffer on the fast track.
If you do wear glasses, have your doctor check if you are still using the same power you were a year ago. Should the power need to be increased, it is imperative to have your lenses changed to accommodate the new requirements.
Give Your Eyes A Break
At the end of the day your eyes are like any other muscles in your body – they require rest. Sometimes sleep is not enough for your eyes to relax as they may still be stimulated by the abundance of activity taking place during the day.
To help relieve tension in your eyes and prevent your eyesight from deteriorating, try placing a warm towel over your eyes after a bath or shower. Massage around the circumference of your eyes with the tips of your index fingers to encourage circulation. Also massage your neck up to the back of your ears. These veins tend to be overly-charged and sometimes do not carry enough oxygen to the brain, leaving your eyes feeling tired or tensed.
Other proven ways to help your eyes relax is to save used teabags and chill them in the fridge. Placing these over your eyes cools them down after a stressful day. Alternatives would include cucumber and/or chilled teaspoons.
