A healthy lifestyle is important for long-term clear vision and overall health of your body and your eyes. Improve the quality of your life by keeping your eyes healthy and muscles relaxed.
Reduce headaches, feelings of fatigue by introducing steps to promote better sleep. Our bodies are made to move, and yet we keep them hunched over screens affecting the health of our eyes and causing pain in our bodies too.
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How Nutrition and Lifestyle Affects Your Eyes
Poor nutrition is the leading cause of age-related eye diseases. Maintaining the correct BMI and cholesterol reduces the onset and severity of many diseases.
Vitamins and minerals promote the development of structural support at the back of the eye (Macular Pigment Optical Density) to reduce the risk of age-related eye disease include Omega 3, Antioxidants, Lutein, Zinc, Vitamin E, and Vitamin C.
Not only will these vitamins keep your eyes healthy and promote the development of regenerative tissue, eye disease patients, with Omega rich diets, develop mild symptoms, and respond well to treatment.
A colorful diet filled with fresh leafy greens and fish will give you everything you need, but supplements are available too.
A healthy diet and adequate exercise routine today will prevent problems later.
The Cause and Effect of Near Device Eyestrain
Near devices dominate lives today, and this causes computer vision syndrome along with a host of other medical problems.
Eye strain causes headaches, blurred vision, and pressure around the eyes. The best way to reduce eye strain is to visit your optometrist annually and keep prescription eyewear up to date. Are you collecting too many prescription glasses? Consider donating old glasses to those in need.
The blue wave light disrupts Melatonin production, a hormone released by the pineal gland, and controls the day-night or sleep-wake cycle. Check your devices for sunrise, sunset, or night-time settings that will add filters that lower the blue waves transmitted from your devices and enable better sleep.
Reading from electronics increases hyper-focus and reduces blinking by half as compared to other types of engagements, causing Dry Eye Syndrome. Be conscious of how dry your eyes are and increase the number of times you blink.
Use eye drops if your eyes are red and itchy, or find out if the irritant is caused by environmental factors or allergies.
Near Device, Settings to Reduce Eye Strain
A few tricks will ease the strain, and pressure reading causes the eyes. Resting during prolonged sessions with the 20-20-20 rule is easy to add to any busy day.
After 20 minutes of using a device, look at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds to rest the eye.
Focus on the readability of the text on the screen for a moment. Tilt the screen away from a window or indoor light source glaring on it, which encourages squinting. Change the font size and brightness of the screen until you find the one that is the most comfortable for your eyes as you read.
The position of your device is essential too; keep the screen about an arm’s length away. When using the device for reading, your eye level should be near the top ¾ of the screen, reading down onto the text; when you are watching a video or gaming center, the screen to your eye level.
Exercises That Reduce Eyestrain
Muscles move your eyes, and like other muscles in your body, keeping them in the same position hours on end may lead to muscle spasms. The narrow range of movement keeps them from stretching and adds to eye strain.
Resting your eyes reduces the strain, but cupping will further relax your eyes. Rub the palms of the hands together, warming them, cup them over your eyes, keeping your shoulders and neck relaxed as you hold your palms to your eyes. The darkness will give your photoreceptors a break and relax the focus of your eyes.
Stretch the muscles by changing the direction of your eyes.
Focus on objects located in different directions for a few seconds, not only up, down, left, right, but the diagonal corners around your eye. Move your eyes in a slow circular motion to stretch the muscles a few times. If you feel any pain during these exercises, stop and check with your eye care physician.
These quick, simple steps can be introduce into any hectic lifestyle. Eating well and exercise will give your mind and eyes a break. Life is about balance, and a better life is a better you.
