Our eyes are very delicate organs that need proper care and protection. Our eyes help us see the world in its most beautiful and natural form. The health of our eyes should be a priority, for life without vision is not acceptable. Good quality vision is what improves the quality of life.

     To maintain healthy eyes, one needs to visit an eye practitioner on a regular basis to rule out any eye-related issues. While eating a balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight, wearing protective eyewear, and avoiding smoking can contribute towards a healthy pair of eyes. Here are some suggestions on healthy habits to adopt for healthy eyes from Dr Rani Menon’s Eye Clinic.

     1. Wash your hands

It is a common belief that you should not touch your eyes with your hands, hence washing hands on a regular basis is essentially hygienic. Most of the commonly appearing vision problems occur when you touch your eyes with unwashed hands

There are a lot of diseases that can pass down from your hands to your eyes by simple touch and not maintaining basic hygiene. Some bacterial and virus infections can cause long-term damage to the eyes. To avoid any further risks, avoid touching your eyes with your hands if they haven’t been washed.

     2. Your contact lenses should be handled safely

Contact lenses have to be stored and handled in a clean and safe environment to keep your eyes in a healthy condition, listed below are some ideas to follow if you are wearing contacts.

•  Never reuse the solution 
• The solution has to be discarded when expired as it can cause eye infection
• The tip of the solution bottle should not be touched with hands or eyes
• Sterilize the case in which you store your contact lens
• Always make sure to wash your hands before touching the contact lenses
• If the contact lens falls on the floor, make sure to clean it thoroughly or discard it if found damaged
• Never expose your contact lens to air-borne illnesses and always keep them in a clean place

     3. Refrain from dangerous cosmetic procedures

We only have a pair of eyes hence adopting dangerous cosmetic procedures like tattooing your eyeballs or inserting a foreign substance like inks can cause eye inflammation. If the person performing the procedure is not professional or careful enough you can even lose your eyesight permanently.

Piercing is another procedure where metal rings and rods are pierced into the eyelids, sometimes people pierce to shut the eye completely or to escape any kind of trauma. Even using cosmetic or decorative contacts which are not approved or prescribed by your optometrist can cause problems with your eyes.

     4. Use of proper eyewear

When working around dangerous things like power tools or sharp objects, it is essential that you use proper protection as it is easy for things to lodge into your eyes, if not careful. If your occupation demands, safety glasses must not be avoided as your eyes can be exposed to harmful lights, radiation, chemicals, infectious diseases, dust, debris, and flying and falling objects.

The occupation that demands the use of protective eyewear is construction, welding & wood works, manufacturing works, mining, healthcare jobs, office work etc.  Even using proper sunglasses on a daily basis is essential to block dangerous UVA or UVB from causing harm to eyes or strain, injuries, hazards, diseases, and other difficulties. 

     5. Eating eye-healthy foods

A healthy diet goes a long way to keep your eye healthy, a complete nutritious diet consisting of a whole variety of fruits and vegetables isn   essential to keep the health of your eyes and improve your vision. On that note, some foods that can help boost vision are oily fish like salmon and tuna rich in omega 3 fatty acids, green leafy vegetables like kale, and spinach, eggs rich in proteins, whole grains like barley and quinoa, bell peppers, and vitamin-C rich citrus fruits, seeds and nuts, etc.

    6. Eye Exercise

Regular eye exercises can help reduce strain, and stress, regulates blood sugar levels and increase blood flow helping maintain the health of the eyes. Any kind of exercise that keeps your body in motion and your heart rate up lets you have a healthy eye.

     7. Give your eyes some rest 

Constantly staring at your digital devices for a long time can be harmful to your eyes because of the blue light emitted from the devices. It is essential to maintain a distance with your devices as the blue light can cause strain and make your vision stressful. Wearing blue light protection glasses, looking away from the screen, staring at far away objects, and going for walks can help give your eyes some rest.

     8. Stop Smoking

Smoking increases your risk of vision loss as you age; though the effect is not visible immediately it can have a huge impact on your eyes as you age.

     9. Make regular doctor visits

Visit an optometrist on a regular basis to identify any eye problems. With a change in lifestyle, the health of our eyes can become deteriorated. Hence doing a routine check on your eyes can help identify eye diseases and take the necessary precaution. 

     Visit Kerala’s most trusted eye clinic, Dr Rani Menon’s Eye Clinic for professional eye check-ups and to receive proper guidance for any eye-related problems. Making occasional visits to the Optometrist can reduce the risk of eye diseases and contribute to a healthy eye.