Most people go to family doctors when they are not feeling well, or go to dentists when they have dental problems. But are you taking proper care of your eyes, especially if you are not using corrective lenses? There are many things you can do to ensure healthy vision and prevent eye-related diseases. Take out time to focus on how to improve your vision.
Schedule an eye test
Even if you do not use corrective lenses, it is important to first schedule an eye test. Here are some quick thumb rules for how often you should be receiving an eye exam:
- Children and teens-regular vision screenings and eye exams with eye specialists.
- In your 20s and 30s-every 5 years.
- From 40-64 years- every 2 to 4
- After 65 years-every 1 to 2 years.
It is important to check your eyes regularly to prevent eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, low vision, and even dry eyes. All of these conditions can cause blurry vision, discomfort, and even blindness. If you have not done a recent eye test, schedule one at the earliest to prevent the possible decline in vision.
Protect your eyes
Whether you are at work, at home, or outdoors, there are preventive measures you can take to protect your eyes. If your job requires safety eyewear, be sure to wear it at all times. Safety glasses are often required to small pieces of material from getting into your eyes that can cause irreversible damage. Other jobs may entail a lot of time spent on a computer or smartphone. The blue light emitted from digital devices can cause dry eyes, blurry vision, and headaches.
Eyeglasses with a blue light filtering option are great to prevent these symptoms if you spend a lot of time looking at digital screens. Finally, when outside (even if it is cloudy), it is important to protect your eyes with sunglasses that block 100% of ultraviolet rays. Sun damage is cumulative, so if you are not regularly wearing protective sunglasses.
Eat foods that nurture your eyes
Work on incorporating more eye-healthy foods into your diet. Foods that are high in Vitamin A, lutein, zinc, and omega-3 are great for improving vision and preventing eye diseases. Here are a few examples of foods to make a priority in your diet:
- Vitamin A-rich foods- dairy products, carrots, broccoli, and many more.
- Foods high in lutein- leafy greens, peas, kiwi, and grapes.
- Foods with zinc- shellfish, legumes, eggs, and nuts.
- Foods high in omega-3- Chia seeds, spinach, tofu, and fish.
All these foods can help prevent vision loss, improve vision overall, and reduce your chances of chronic eye disease.
Rest your eyes
Just like everything else in our body, the eyes also need rest. Of course, when we sleep at night, they get plenty of rest, but you can take mindful breaks throughout the day to give them more rest. It is important to take frequent breaks, especially if you work at a computer or are looking at things closely all day (like a dentist or tattoo artist). One method to practice is simply covering your eyes with your palms and allowing your eyes to adjust to the darkness for a minute. Another one is taking a break every 20 minutes to look at least 20 feet away from you for 20 seconds.
Here are some other eye exercises to keep your vision healthy
1 Blink for a minute– this exercise help in regulating blood flow in your eyes. Blinking is an excellent way to relax your eyes. The blinking keeps your eyes from getting dry. This is very helpful to people whose work requires lots of attention.
2 Rotate your head– This also helps in blood circulation. While looking straight slowly turn your head right to left and then left to right, and up and down. You can do this for 30 to 60 seconds, depending on the availability of time.
3 Look to your right and left– without moving your head first look to your right and then slowly switch to looking to your left. Do it for 50 to 60 seconds, and after finishing close your eyes for a few seconds.
4 Close your eyes and relax– this help in strengthening photoreceptive cells in your eyes. Think about something you like to do. Do it for 30 seconds.
5 Move your gaze in a different direction– This exercise improves visual perception. First look right to left for 5 seconds, look up and then down for 5 seconds, after that turn your eyes into circular motion-do it for 30 seconds, then draw a figure 8 with your eyes.
6 Close and open your eyes– close your eyes for 3-5 seconds, now open them, then do it again. Totally you should do it seven times.
7 Pushing against your temple– putting pressure on your temples with your fingers for 2 seconds. Repeat this exercise 5 times.
8 Draw geometric figures with your gaze– Start with a triangle then draw a big rectangle, also you can draw a square and a circle. Then you can move on to some complicated figures also.
9 Move your eyeballs up and down– Close your eyes, and then move your eyeballs slowly up and down. You can do this exercise 5 to 10 times.
10 Strengthen your eyes near and far focusing- First place your finger 10 inches away from your face and focus on them for 10 to 15 seconds, then focus on some object which is away from you, focus on that subject for 10-15 seconds, now focus on an object which is 15 feet away from you for 10-15 seconds. Repeat this set of exercises 3-5 times.
If you want to see these exercises on video, the link is
In the end, do not forget about your eyes when considering your overall health.
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Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
14th June 2023.