8 Ways You Can Protect and Enhance Your Eyesight

While many of us may take it for granted, our eyesight is an essential part of our daily lives. And like all of our other organs, if we don’t take care of them, our eyesight can deteriorate over time.
 
Hence, it goes without saying that we should do everything it takes to keep our eyes healthy. However, in the age of hectic work schedules and constant exposure to electronic screens that wreak havoc on our eyesight, it is becoming more and more difficult to treat our eyes with the respect they deserve.

Here are ten proven ways that, when followed regularly, can help improve and protect your precious eyesight:

1. Eat right

A healthy diet is crucial to good health. This includes your eyesight. It is proven that fruit and veggies, and yellow and green vegetables in particular, help avoid age-related macular degeneration which is the foremost cause of blindness.
 
Garlic, onions, capers and shallots are rich in sulfur, cysteine, and lecithin, which protect the lenses of your eyes from cataract formation. Fishes like the wild salmon, sardine, cod and mackerel are loaded with DHA – a type of fatty acid, which supports the cell membranes, thus enhancing your eyesight.
 
Suggested read: Quick Guide: How to Eat Healthy on Any Budget
 
 

2. Do yoga

It’s common knowledge that yoga is incredibly good for mind and body. But did you know that certain yoga poses and techniques can actually help improve your vision?
 
Pranayama – conscious breathing techniques – along with physical yoga poses like Headstand and Shoulderstand can help improve the blood flow to your head immensely. This in turn helps enhance your eyesight.
 
 

3. Avoid nicotine

The ill effects of nicotine on your eyesight are numerous and severe. Adrenalin released by nicotine consumption reduces peripheral vision. Nicotine also reduces your ability to see at night, because it stops the production of the eye pigments that are responsible for low-light vision.
 
If consumed over a long period of time, nicotine will eventually accelerate the degeneration of your eyes. Just one more reason to not smoke, or quit smoking!
 
Suggested read: 3 Unconventional Steps and 5 Tips to Quit Smoking Holistically

4. Do simple eye exercises

There are plenty of quick and easy eye exercises that restore the health of your eyes. Start with rolling your eyes in this order: up, down, side to side, in each diagonal direction, counter clockwise and finally clockwise. Repeat each of these exercises 10 times, without straining.
 
Another simple exercise is to hold a pen at arm’s length, at your eye level. Focus on the tip of the pen as you move it closer to your eyes. When you are about six inches away from your face, stop and move it back to arm’s length. Repeat this very carefully and slowly 10 times.
 
 

5. Avoid over-stressing your eyes

From cell phones to computers to TV, we spend between 7 to 10 hours on average staring at a screen . . . EVERY DAY! You may not realize it while you’re doing it, but your eyes may be overstressed as a result. It is essential that you rest your eyes frequently. Take time throughout your day to close your eyes for just a few seconds.
 
These short breaks from the screen can have a big impact on your eye health overall. Most smartphones have a ‘nighttime’ setting that dims the brightness of the screen, which is particularly important in the hours leading up to bedtime.
 
 

6. Treat tired eyes

A simple way to cure tired eyes is washing them with warm water. This is important because the skin around your eyes is more sensitive. Warm water soothes the muscles of the skin around your eyes, thus helping them relax. Gently massaging your eyes regularly will also provide relief. Use your fingertips to apply gentle pressure in a circular motion.
 
 

7. Makeup and skincare products

If you regularly wear heavy eye-makeup, consider reducing the frequency and/or switching to organic makeup. Most makeup you find in the store is full of harmful chemicals and preservatives. These are particularly dangerous when it comes to your sensitive eyes. That’s why it’s important to make sure you remove all of your eye makeup completely at the end of the day.
 
Suggested read: Avoid These 12 Toxic Chemicals Lurking in Your Beauty Products
 
 

8. Protect your eyes

It may sound like common sense, but wear safety glasses if you’re doing any activities that could result in eye injury. Use appropriate sunglasses that have UV protection when you go outside. If you do a lot of work on a computer, consider investing in computer glasses like Gunnar glasses, which filter out harmful blue light and cut down on the harsh impact of staring at a screen all day.
 
 
The importance of healthy eyes cannot be stressed enough! You can enhance and retain your eyesight and overall eye health with the help of these simple yet effective tips, which are easy to incorporate into your routine. Follow them regularly to keep eye problems at bay, and your eyes healthy.
 
This article and all included information is not intended as medical advice and does not treat or diagnose. Please consult your doctor for any health-related questions or concerns.