5 Natural Ways to Maintain Healthy Eyesight

There may not be a more crucial muscle in the human body than the eyes. Far more than the romantic “windows to the soul”, your eyes are the primary way with which your brain receives information about the outside world. With strong eyesight you can navigate obstacles, follow the rules of the road, take in the beautiful sunset that inspires a painting and connect on a deep level with another human being. People without sight learn to adapt, and other senses improve through the process. But there’s no doubt that losing your eyesight would leave a gap that you’ll sense forever. It’s fairly easy to protect and nurture your eyes, as long as you make it a priority. And it doesn’t take a reliance on any sort of pharmaceutical solution. Here are five natural ways to maintain healthy eyesight.

Much of the battle lies in choosing the right diet. A balanced nutritional plan is obviously crucial for your overall health and well-being, but the food on your plate will seriously impact how long your eyes last you, and in what condition. Several long term studies have been done on the subject, and the results suggest that eating foods with significant levels of the vitamins E and C, omega-3 fatty acids, zinc and lutein may well prevent the degeneration of your eyes. So look for leafy greens, tuna, beans and citrus fruits as a good place to start.

If you smoke cigarettes, protecting your eyes is as good a reason as any to quit today. The longer you smoke, the greater the chance that you’ll experience optic nerve damage, cataracts or macular degeneration. And don’t fret if you’ve tried to quit several times unsuccessfully. It’s always worth giving it another shot, and the more times you make the attempt the greater the chance that you’ll finally rid yourself of the habit.

Purchasing the right pair of sunglasses can also help you keep your eyes healthy over the long term. But they have to come with the right lenses. The problem is the ultraviolet rays the sun gives off. The longer you expose your eyes to their power, the more likely the chance of macular degeneration and cataracts. Just don’t skimp on the quality of the sunglasses. You’ll want a pair that cut close to 100% of all UVB and UVA rays from reaching your eyes. Although they aren’t the coolest look, lenses that wrap around the side of your face will offer added protection.

Another way people end up with ruined eyesight is through injury. If you’ve ever poked yourself in the eye you know how painful that can be, and how scary that moment of concern for your eyes. So if you regularly work in situations where hazardous materials are thrown into the air, always wear goggles for protection. You should also consider safety eyewear if you play certain sports that involve projectiles.

At the other end of the spectrum is eye damage due to computer usage. This is becoming more and more common, as most jobs involve a considerable amount of time spent sitting in front of a screen. But the longer you do so without a break, the greater the chance of blurred vision, eyestrain, headaches, upper back pain and dry eyes. Love the internet and want to insure you’ll always be able to see site? Pay attention to ergonomic seating and take a break after every twenty minutes spent in front of a computer.