#HealthBytes: Top 5 hacks to naturally improve your eyesight
Maintaining good eye health is crucial for having unobstructed, clear vision in the long run. However, given the unhealthy environment surrounding us, fast-paced lifestyles, and bad eating and health habits we've developed, our eyes remain at a significant risk. Rest assured, a healthy lifestyle and good diet habits can help us maintain good eyesight. Here are top 5 ways to naturally improve your eyesight.
What you eat or drink is an important determinant
Certain vitamins, including Vitamin A, C, and E, and minerals like zinc and copper, are essential for good eyesight. Carrots, broccoli, spinach, strawberries, and citric fruits are great sources of all these vitamins and minerals, and green/yellow vegetables, in general, are beneficial for your eyes. Furthermore, foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids such such as salmon, nuts etc. also help.
Eye exercises and physical fitness are also beneficial
Performing eye exercises regularly also goes a long way in ensuring good eyesight in the long run. Rubbing exercises, warming exercises, gentle eye massages are a few such exercises. Additionally, staying physically fit is important, especially if you're overweight or obese. Obesity increases the risk of developing Type-2 diabetes which, in turn, can damage the tiny blood vessels in your eyes.
Your sleep and resting patterns are also crucial to eye-health
Enough quality rest is instrumental in maintaining good eyesight. Rest helps your eyes to repair and recover from the stresses of the day and continued exposure to computer screens. One should aim for sound, undisturbed, 7-8 hours of sleep each night to improve eyesight. Frequent mini-breaks and power-naps during the workday also go a long way in providing much-needed rest for your eyes.
Use protective eye-gear to avoid damage to your eyes
When working in environments harmful for your eyes, like a laboratory or a garage, wearing appropriate protective eye-gear becomes a must. Additionally, when heading out during the day, consider wearing good quality sunglasses. This will help protect your eyes from the harmful UVA and UVB radiation from sunlight. Also, go for regular eye checkups and see if there's a need for spectacles or not.
Unhealthy lifestyle habits are detrimental to your eye health
Bad lifestyle habits are also known to adversely affect eye health. Smoking, among other harmful health-effects, significantly raises your risk of developing cataracts and age-related macular-degeneration. Fortunately, however, your eyes, lungs, and other body parts start recovering from tobacco-induced damaged fairly soon after you quit smoking. So quit now, if you want yourself (and your eyes) to live a healthy and long life.
