8 Simple Healthy Habits for Eye Health

Your eyes are amazing and are one of the most important organs in you sensing the life around you. And yet, they are often neglected and taken for granted. There are simple things you can start doing today to maintain your vision and eye health.

1. Get enough sleep and take a break from visual stress

Especially if at work you sit at the computer for a long time, and at home you read books from your phone or spend time on social networks. It is better to remove gadgets at least 2 hours before bedtime and go to bed early. And instead of watching the series, take a bath, take a walk, do light physical activity.

2. Wear safety glasses

It's not just about sunglasses, although they are extremely necessary to protect the eyes from harmful ultraviolet radiation. They should be worn not only in summer in clear weather, but also in winter, for example, going to a ski resort.

• For tanning in the solarium, you need to purchase special glasses with UV protection.
• If you visit the pool, you need goggles for swimming.
• When working in the garden and construction work, special safety glasses should be used.
• When driving a car, you need to use special anti-reflective or other types of glasses for motorists.

3. Quit smoking

Smoking contributes to the development of cataracts, dry eye syndrome and macular degeneration. The sooner you quit this habit, the lower the risk of complications.

4. Follow the rules for wearing contact lenses

Try to use the lenses according to the instructions: do not sleep in them, change them in time, clean their surface and storage container.

5. Do not use low-quality and expired eye cosmetics.

Pathogenic bacteria especially "love" liquid textures - creams, eyeliners, mascara. Therefore, try not to use eye cosmetics after the expiration date. And if you have had conjunctivitis, then you should replace mascara and liquid shadows with new ones. And a few more rules about makeup:

• Before going to bed, be sure to remove makeup.
• Do not use other people's cosmetics and mascara or eyeshadow testers in stores.
• It is better not to bring the eyes along the line of the inner eyelid.

6. Eliminate high-intensity physical activity

Intense sports (weightlifting, CrossFit) and some types of martial arts (boxing, kickboxing) can be harmful to people with hidden eye diseases and lead to retinal detachment. But moderate physical activity (walking, running, swimming, skiing) with a thorough warm-up, on the contrary, improves blood circulation and helps to activate the visual cortex *.

7. Include eye-healthy foods in your diet

Good eye health starts with the food on your plate. Beneficial substances such as omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zinc, and vitamins C and E help prevent many vision problems. They are found in the following products:

• Green leafy vegetables: spinach, cabbage
• Salmon, tuna and other fatty fish
• Eggs, nuts, beans and other sources of protein
• Oranges and other citrus fruits
• Oysters and pork

8. Use drugs that reduce dry eyes

Dryness is experienced by many contact lens users, office workers who spend a lot of time at the computer, and patients after laser vision correction. Eye drops can remove unpleasant symptoms and stop the development of dangerous processes in the cornea.

*Part of the brain responsible for processing visual information.