You want to protect your entire body from damage. One of the most important parts of your body that you shouldn’t neglect is your vision. Over time, your vision may start to deteriorate — especially if you’re predisposed to conditions in your family. Fortunately, you can follow eye health tips to keep yourself and your vision healthy through the years. 

1. Step Back From Screens

Has anyone told you to get off your phone or computer and spend time in the real world? Spending too much time on screens can damage your eyesight, but in this world, it’s impossible to be without a screen, whether during professional or personal time. If you must be around screens for a long period, use blue-light glasses, which can block the harmful rays from screens. The right glasses can also help you reduce headaches caused by devices.

You should spend 20 seconds staring at something 20 feet away from you to make up for 20 minutes staring at a screen — it can help you preserve your eyesight when you have a tech-heavy job or class. Many gamers use this tool to help keep their eyesight sharp after hours of gaming at a time. You can use it during your personal time when scrolling social media or even during one of your breaks at work. A little can go a long way.

2. Wear Protective Eyewear

No matter what your risk is, if your job recommends that you should wear something over your eyes, opt for protective eyewear. This eyewear can stop debris from flying into your eyes and scratching you, or it might stop chemicals from splashing into your face and potentially blinding you. Eyeshields should always be worn in situations where something could damage your eyes.

You should also rely on sunglasses for daily use if you’re out in the sun often. The best sunglasses are the ones that offer protection against UV rays, which not all do. Just because some sunglasses look tinted doesn’t mean they’ll protect your eyes. In fact, they could be worse for your eyes because the tint could cause your pupils to dilate, then take in more UV light.

3. Care for Your Overall Health

Maintaining your entire body’s health can help you have healthy eyes for years to come. Practices like eating healthy and staying a healthy weight can help decrease your risk of developing diabetes, which can sometimes negatively affect your eye health. 

When looking at diet changes to supplement a healthier overall lifestyle, rely on antioxidants to help repair cells and tissues. Leafy green vegetables and some citrus fruits are some of the best foods to eat to help keep your eyes healthy. Though food that’s bad for you might taste the best, it’s not nourishing your body the way whole foods will.

4. Wash Your Hands Frequently

When dealing with your eyes, you should always wash your hands first. Putting in or taking out contacts is an excellent example of when washing your hands comes in handy. You’ll ensure that you won’t put anything harmful into your eye while trying to adjust your contact. It might seem like a pain to wash your hands frequently, but it can pay off.

If you have dry, itchy eyes, don’t rub them. You might get some bacteria from your hands into your eye. Instead, find a budget-friendly alternative in eyedrops, which can help relieve some of the itchiness and keep it gone for hours. Keep your hands away from your face when in public spaces. You never know what you could have picked up on them.

5. Avoid Smoking

Smoking, and other bad habits, are harmful to your body and can affect your eyesight, even at a young age. Many people know how smoking affects their lungs, but not many people know the detrimental effects it can have on your eyes. Smoking cigarettes regularly can make you lose the ability to process color effectively, leaving you almost a degree of colorblindness, especially with red-green and blue-yellow visions. Try to stop any bad habits if you want less damage to your eyes. Your body as a whole will thank you for it.

Eye Health Tips Keep Your Vision Strong

It’s never too early to start caring about your eyes. With these eye health tips, you’ll know what to avoid and what can help you repair some minor damage to your eyes. You only get two eyes for your entire life — so it’s important to start taking care of them as soon as possible. Strong eyes work with your other strong organs to help your body function for years to come — so you can enjoy everything life offers.