3 Tips For Keeping Your Eyes Healthy To Help Prevent Eye Problems
Posted on: 25 January 2017
Your eyes are just like any other part of your body; they need to be well cared for. Caring for your eyes can prevent problems and may even keep you from having to wear glasses. You should still see an optometrist yearly to ensure you do not have any serious problems, however. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to for your eyes, three of which are listed below.
Nutrition
There are many foods you can eat to help keep your eyes healthy, including:
- Dark, Leafy, Green Vegetables: Two nutrients that can help prevent eye problems are zeaxanthin and lutein. You can find these nutrients in dark, leafy, green vegetables like spinach, kale, collard greens, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and swiss chard.
- Egg yolks: The nutrients zeaxanthin and lutein are found in egg yolks. Egg yolks are also a good source of protein for your body. Eat eggs for breakfast, or add some eggs to your salad.
- Berries and citrus: Berries and citrus are a big source of vitamin C. This vitamin can help reduce your chances of developing cataracts and macular degeneration. Add berries to your cereal or eat them for a snack. Drink orange juice for breakfast each morning, or eat an orange.
- Nuts: Nuts such as almonds are a good source of vitamin E, and, according to the American Optometric Association, vitamin E has been shown to slow macular degeneration.
Eye Supplements
If you don't think you can eat enough of the foods above, there are eye-care supplements you can take to provide you with the nutrients you need. The supplement you choose should have high doses of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene, and zinc. These nutrients will not prevent age-related macular degeneration, but they can slow down the progression.
The supplements should also have lutein and zeaxanthin. Omega-3 essential fatty acids are another nutrient that not only helps with age related eye problems, but may also help if you have dry-eye syndrome. Bioflavonoids are found in many supplements and can help your body absorb vitamin C.
Wear Sunglasses
The sun can not only hurt your skin, but it can also hurt your eyes. The cornea and lens inside your eyes filter UV rays, but over time these rays can damage the eyes. Your eyelids and skin around your eyes are very thin and more susceptible to skin cancer from the sun.
Purchase sunglasses that provide 100% UV protection. If you currently wear glasses, your eye doctor can prescribe a pair of prescription sunglasses for you. The doctor can also prescribe snap-on sunglass lenses that you snap onto the lenses of your glasses when you go out in the sun.
Talk with your eye doctor about all this information to learn even more about your eye health. The doctor can also tell you of eye supplements you can choose and how many supplements you should take.
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