How to Keep Eyes Healthy

The majority of people value eyesight the most out of the five human senses. Healthy eyes are very important and we take our vision for granted every day. If you want to keep your vision for a lifetime, you need to keep your eyes healthy.

Instructions

1. Wear sunglasses to prevent cataracts, cornea damage and age-related macular degeneration, which is caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

2. Get your eyes checked at least once a year, especially if you are in a high risk category for eye disease. High risk categories include those with diabetes and those with a family history of eye disease. If you aren't in a high risk category, you should still get your eyes checked at least once every year and go to an ophthalmologist (eye doctor) if you see anything strange in your eyes, such as unexplained flashes of light or dark spots in your vision.

3. Care for your contact lenses properly to keep your eyes healthy. Make sure your hands are clean when putting in and taking out your contact lenses, don't wear them longer than they are recommended to wear and don't sleep in your contacts. If not taken care of properly, you could get an infection.

4. Know first aid for eye injuries. If you get something in your eye, don't rub your eye and do not try to remove an object embedded in the eye. Also know what to do for cuts in the eye and if chemical substances get into the eye.

5. Wear protective goggles when working with chemicals or doing anything that could cause an object to fly toward the eye. Wear sports goggles, which can be purchased at sporting goods stores, when playing any kind of sport where you can be hit in the eye by a ball.

6. Limit your use on the computer if you can. According to some studies, 70 percent of people who work at a computer screen for more than six hours a day experience some visual problems.

7. Eat foods rich in A, C and E vitamins plus zinc, which can slow down age-related macular degeneration in patients. Vitamins C and E may also help eliminate the progression of cataracts. Lutein and zeaxanthin (found in dark fruits and vegetables) can also help reduce cell damage caused by harmful sun rays.

Tips & Warnings

• Instead of rubbing your eye if you get something in it, pull your top lid over your lower lid to remove it or flush the eye with clean water.