Without our sight, the world would be a very dark and foreboding place. This makes our eye the most valuable organ in our body. Proper eye care will ensure that you enjoy good eye health. The eye is a sensitive organ and must be protected from dust, UV rays, harmful chemicals and air pollutants. Proper eye care involves regular exercise and adequate nutrition.
Adequate nutrition requires the intake of sufficient quantities of vitamins, minerals and green leafy vegetables.
o Eye health benefits from the presence of vitamin A, C and E. The antioxidants improve night vision as well. Eat orange, kiwi, carrots and grapes to supply your body with these vitamins.
o Ensure that your diet consists of green leafy vegetables like spinach, green peas, French beans, lettuce etc. Regular and sufficient intake will help in the improvement of your eyesight.
o The nutrition required to maintain your eye health is present in foods like nuts, seeds, pepper, eggs, fish and other poultry products. Minerals and nutrients are essential as they undo the damage done to your eyes and reduce the risk of age-related problems.
o Try to avoid saturated fats and try to include omega-3 fatty acids in your diet.
If you are obese, you are at higher risk of diabetes related eye problems. Ensure intake of aloe vera as a nutritional supplement to bolster immunity and prevent infections. Red blood cells generation contributes to proper functioning of the brain and nervous system. This contributes to the health of the eye and is ensured by adequate supply of Vitamin B-12.
Bilberry extract, a herb, is beneficial to the nerve cells of the eyes. Intake of this herb ensures improved eye health and enhanced eye vision. Mohania grape extract, another herb, is good for the retina. Aspalathus releases antioxidants in your body, which neutralizes harmful free radicals and protects eye health. One preventive step to ensure eye care involves the consumption of herbal and homeopathic medicines prescribed by qualified and reputed eye doctors.
If you are concerned about your eye, you must quit smoking. The habit harms the soft tissues of the eyes. It enhances the damage caused by diabetes related eye disorders.
If you want to prevent eye problems, regularly practice eye exercises to ensure proper eye care.
o Once exercise is to regularly and consciously blink the eye for at least 15 times in a minute. This aids eye lubrication and eye cleansing. It also reduces tension.
o Hold the head steady and move the eyes up, then down, then left and then right. Imagine a globe and move your eyes north, south, east and then west. Perform this exercise continuously for thirty times to improve eye muscle power.
o Close one eye and concentrate on a tip of a pencil held about a foot afar and then on an object placed further afar. Concentrate on the two objects alternatively to improve eye muscle contraction and expansion.
o Rapidly blink twenty times. This reduces the tension in the body.
Apart from the above measures, one must always wear sunglasses to protect your eye from harmful UVA and UVB rays. If you are exposed to UV rays at work, then always wear safety gloves and safety goggles.