How to Maintain 20/20 Vision

One of the most common ailments that people deal with as they age is a decline in their vision. While most of us may need to graduate to using occasional readers in our middle age, there are a few things that you can do now to keep your vision strong.

Many of us take our good vision for granted. In fact, most people don’t realize their vision is starting to become strained until they begin to suffer side effects like headaches. Keeping your vision strong is part of maintaining your overall health.

When you visit your eye doctor annually, you want to be able to ace the eye chart test. Let’s take a closer look at a few of the things that you can do to keep your vision strong.

Nutrition

As we age, many parts of our bodies, including our muscles, begin to deteriorate. In your eyes, the macula is the part that controls central vision and can be affected by aging. To help avoid macular degeneration, it’s important to have a diet that is rich in minerals and antioxidants. Zinc, vitamins A, E, and C are important nutrients that can help to keep your vision strong and the anterior muscular structure of the eye in great shape. Some of the best foods for eye health include:

• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Red bell peppers
• Sweet potato
• Strawberries
• Citrus
• Omega-3 acids found in fish

Wear Sunglasses

Sunglasses aren’t purely a fashion accessory, they serve an important physical function. Protecting your eyes from the harsh UV radiation from the sun can help to keep your eyes healthy. Squinting in bright lights can put a strain on your eyes, causing headaches and muscular degeneration. Your sunglasses should be designed to reflect 100% of the UV rays from the sun. If you spend a lot of time outdoors, it’s crucial that you protect your eyes from damage. Wearing a wide-brimmed hat can also help to shade your eyes from the sun.

Limited Screen Time

In the modern world, many of us spend a large amount of time staring at a backlit digital screen. If your work is primarily done on a computer, you could be doing damage to your eyes if you don’t limit your screen time. While you may not be able to change your career to save your vision, there are a few things that you can do to help keep your eyes healthy and still get your computer work done.

Following the 20/20/20 rule can help relieve your eyes from excessive strain from computer work. Every 20 minutes, look away from your computer screen and focus on something that is 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. This will help your eyes to relax and refocus.

If you are finding that your eyes are strained from doing computer work, you can change the settings on your display. Reduce the amount of backlighting on your screen by lowering the brightness setting. You can also try wearing glasses with yellow or blue-tinted lenses that will help reduce eye strain.

Quit Smoking

We all know that smoking can cause many health issues, but many of us don’t know that it can affect our vision. If you smoke, you are at higher risk for developing cataracts and macular degeneration that can cause vision loss. If you quit smoking today, your body will instantly start to repair the damaged tissues, helping to erase some of the damage to your tissues, including your eyes.

Maintaining your vision is crucial to your quality of life. Follow these tips to help you keep your vision strong and vital.