5 Easy Ways to Keep Your Eyes Healthy

On film and TV screens large and small the eyes are truly the windows to the soul. But with all dramatics and flowery language aside, sight may very well be the most important of the five senses. It's definitely the one you lean on most often, taking visual cues from the natural world and the people you run into each and every day that provides you with thousands of bits of information. There's no arguing how important your eyes are, and luckily there are many ways to help insure their long term strength and health that can become a part of your daily life. Here are five easy ways to keep your eyes healthy.

First off, there are various methods to support eye health through nutrition. Do some quick research and you should be able to put together a short list of foods that will not only maintain your eyesight, but possibly even improve it. Basically, any food that's rich in vitamin A is a great choice. There's a reason your parents always demanded you eat your carrots! Just make sure that you cook these foods as little as possible, so you don't lose too much of the nutritional power. Also look for any food packed with omega three fatty acids and leafy greens that are dark and flavorful, such as kale.

Amongst your regular efforts, don't forget to schedule in periodic check-ups. In general you'll be best served by having an eye exam once every year. That way your doctor will have the best chance of catching any sort of eyesight degeneration before it becomes a serious issue. Eye doctors will also take into consideration your family history, and will be able to catch vision problems and correct them with lenses or surgery before they get worse or even before you notice any symptoms.

If you already have protected lenses, either glasses or contact lenses, make sure you are taking good care of them. The goal is for them to stay as clean as humanly possible. Don't just clean them off when you see some obvious smudges, but make it a part of your daily routine. And for glasses that means cleaning the frames as well. Dirt, dust and pollen collect on these things, and you don't want that transferring to your eyes. As far as contact lenses are concerned, you must absolutely make sure that you aren't wearing them overnight. That behavior cuts down the oxygen your corneas get, which is a major problem. You should consider going with daily contacts, so you don't have to worry about maintaining them over time or risk infection because of improper cleaning methods.

Whether you wear glasses or not, don't forget about the potential damage the sun can cause. Even if the sun doesn't feel that severe you should try to wear sunglasses with built-in UV protection at all times. The sun may be great for your skin, but it's not particularly fantastic for your vision. Too much sun exposure can contribute to cataracts, macular degeneration and even eye cancer. You can cut your risk far down with the proper eye wear.

That's all well and good, but what about when eye strain is an unavoidable aspect of your work. Most people spend their entire day staring at a computer screen, and there's no way around that. But unless you want to face laser eye surgery someday, you've got to give your eyeballs regular rest. Make sure to take breaks from the computer screen every twenty minutes or so. Even thirty seconds of staring off into the distance gives your eyes a rest from focusing close up. It basically resets your eyes, allowing you to continue.