Eyes are the most precious gift bestowed on human beings. And it is our responsibility to take good care of them. That said, it is entirely possible to improve and benefit eyesight from a healthy lifestyle and mindful maintenance.
When you make “focusing on your eyesight” a priority, you work towards maximizing your eyesight today and reducing the risk of eye disease down the line.
To improve eyesight, you can undertake an extensive range of simple steps such as eating an eye-friendly diet, giving adequate rest to your eyes, getting regular eye exams, and others. Furthermore, read on to know the top ways to improve and maintain a healthy vision.
Table of Contents
Top 5 ways to improve your eyesight
- Maintain an eye-friendly diet
Several foods benefit the eyes, and some work miraculously to improve and maintain eyesight. Some of them are as follows:
Vitamin A- It is abundantly found in one major eye-friendly food- carrot. Also, it is readily found in other food such as spinach and sweet potatoes.
Further, you need to increase zinc consumption to increase vitamin A absorption in the body.
Vitamin E- It is readily present in whole grain cereals, nuts such as hazelnuts and almonds, and spinach. Further, to boost Vitamin E absorption in the body, increase selenium consumption in your diet.
Omega 3s- One of the most common causes of dry eyes is blurred vision. And fatty acid consumption can significantly reduce the effects of dry eyes.
EPA and DHA are considered the most essential omega-3s. These nutrients are richly concentrated in cold-water fish, including salmon, tuna, mackerel, and herring.
Experts recommend consuming these fish twice a week to ensure your body gets an adequate amount of Omega-3s.
Antioxidants- Several foods, such as artichokes, blueberries, and dark chocolates with high amounts of cocoa, are readily available sources of antioxidants.
Amongst several antioxidants, Lutein and Zeaxanthin are considered significant eye-friendly antioxidants. These eye-friendly antioxidants are readily found in many leafy green and are believed to reduce risks of developing diabetic retinopathy and other disorders like age-related macular degeneration.
- Blink more often
Another way to improve vision is by blinking at frequent intervals. Yes, blinking more often is considered healthy for vision. That said, frequent blinking brings fresh tears that help keep eyes moist and free from any sort of irritants.
Nowadays, when hypermetropia and myopia in children and adults are so common, it is highly advisable to blink your eyes 20-30 times. Also, you must ensure not to strain them for prolonged stretches. It greatly helps you to avert problems of dry, blurry, and scratchy eyes. Furthermore, minimizes the chances of developing vision defects like myopia and hypermetropia.
- Drink plenty of water
When the eyes are deprived of enough water supply to provide the right amount of lubrication, resultantly, they get dry, scratchy, and uncomfortable. Further, if you continue to spend prolonged screen time in such a scenario, the problem continues to worsen.
The National Academy of Sciences has set optimal water intake limits as follows:
- Around 2.7 L for women
- 3.7 L for men
The total amount of water intake comprises fluid intake from food and drinks. However, the exact amount of water intake depends on several other factors, including age, weight, and physical activity.
- Get enough sound sleep.
The eyes are no exception among several body parts that don’t function well upon sleep deprivation.
While enough sound sleep helps your eyes rehydrate, stock up on tears, and get the much-needed break from constant focus, sleep deprivation leads to dried, tired, blurred eyes and, in turn, vision.
As per the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommendation:
- An adult aged 18-60 years of age needs a minimum of seven hours of sleep
- An adult aged 61-64 years of age needs a minimum of seven to nine hours of sleep
- An adult aged over 64 years of age needs a minimum of seven to eight hours of sleep.
- Schedule regular eye exam
Often, eye exams aren’t the first thing on people’s minds. Even most of them keep on postponing eye exams until their problems start to worsen.
If you experience blurred vision and headaches for months, an appointment with a professional eye specialist is mandatory.
The most common reason behind blurred vision can be due to one or a combination of refractive errors, including nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and presbyopia.
It is possible to correct these eye defects with corrective eyewear, which an eye specialist can easily prescribe you.
Endnote
When you make your health and lifestyle a priority, you can greatly benefit from improving your vision not just for the short-term duration but for the long term too. Follow the tips mentioned above to ensure mindful maintenance and care for your eyes. Also, schedule an appointment with eye specialists if management becomes problematic.
