Have you ever wondered how simple changes in your daily routine could significantly improve your eye health? If so and you would like to possibly rectify that vision problem, then adopting a few healthy habits into your lifestyle could make the difference for healthy eyes. In this post, I’ll share exactly how natural eye care could help.
How to Improve Eye Health with Nutrient-Rich Foods
Aging takes a toll on our eyes, increasing chances of macular degeneration, which could lead to
a decline in vision and glaucoma. However, adding certain foods with specific nutrients and vitamins can help keep the eyes healthy to improve vision naturally.
- Foods Rich in Vitamins A, C, and E: These vitamins are antioxidants that help protect the eyes from oxidative stress. Ones to target for eye nutrition are carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, citrus fruits, berries, almonds, and sunflower seeds in your diet.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, sardines, herring, oysters, anchovies, flaxseeds, and walnuts can help support eye health and reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The reason that matter for how to improve eye health is because they reduce the amount of high eye pressure. In fact, adding these foods high in omega-3 fatty acids also reduce of your chances of developing dry eyes or helping them if you already have that annoying itching, burning and gritty feeling from this condition.
- Lutein and Zeaxanthin: These antioxidants are found in green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, Swiss chard, zucchini, brussel sprouts, and collard greens, as well as in eggs and corn. They help protect the eyes from harmful blue light from electronic devices that can damage retinal cells as well as reduce the risk of cataracts and AMD. Nonetheless, those taking blood thinners such as warfarin need to be careful of overindulging in green leafy vegetables due to their high amounts of vitamin K that can interfere with how those medications work on the clotting process.
- Zinc: Zinc is an essential mineral for eye health. Foods ample in zinc include beef, poultry, oysters, fortified cereals, beans, and nuts. The way it functions is by assisting vitamin A to move from the liver to the retina for melanin production, which is a pigment protecting the eyes from UV rays.
- Water: Staying hydrated helps maintain the fluid balance in the eyes and prevents dryness, which can lead to discomfort and blurry vision. Something as simple as drinking more water throughout the day is one of these healthy vision habits for how to improve eye health that you may be missing.
Other Natural Remedies for Eye Care
- Protect Your Eyes from UV Rays: Wear sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays when outdoors to protect your eyes from harmful ultraviolet radiation. The reason that this is so beneficial is because those UV rays can change the proteins in the lens of the eyes for risking cataracts that blur and the cloud the vision to cancer as well as wrinkles or making the ones you have more prominent.
- Take Regular Breaks from Screens: Follow the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet away to reduce eye strain caused by prolonged screen time. Too much time staring at the screen can also lead to dry eye, tearing, blurry vision, and headaches so remember to look away at times for healthy eyes. How else you can improve eye health if you spend a lot of time on the computer is getting computer glasses. The reason is they can help the eye muscles focus more ideally for relief to avoid eye strain.
- Practice Eye Exercises: Certain eye exercises, such as focusing on near and distant objects, rolling your eyes in different directions, and blinking frequently, can help improve eye muscle strength and flexibility.
- Get Enough Sleep: Quality sleep is essential for overall health, including eye health. Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep per night to allow your eyes to rest and recharge.
- Quit Smoking: Smoking increases the risk of developing cataracts, AMD, and other eye conditions. Quitting smoking can be beneficial to better protect your eyes and improve overall health.
- Proper Hand Hygiene Before Handling Contact Lenses: Without washing your hands before handling contact lenses can invite infection and inflammation to the eyes. Therefore, make it a point to wash them thoroughly is another of these healthy vision habits.
These natural strategies can bolster and maintain eye health along with a yearly vision eye exam and managing any chronic health conditions can be your best defense for healthy eyes.
