If you were to rank the five senses according to their level of importance, the sense of sight is probably at the top of that list. Our ability to see is what allows us to function daily. Being able to see our surroundings helps us understand the world we live in. There is no denying that our sense of sight is important and we must protect it at all cost. And in line with that, there are rules of eye safety that are not practiced by many people.
Rules of Eye Safety: A Helpful Guide
Practicing these rules of eye safety reduce our chances of developing ocular diseases and it can also slow down the unavoidable aging of our eyes.
Here’s what you can do.
Eat a Balanced Diet
When we are not getting enough nutrition, our bodily functions suffer, including the eyes. A deficiency in Vitamin B12 can cause damage to the optic nerve. Diabetic retinopathy is a disease wherein high blood sugar levels damage blood vessels on the back of the eye. Doctors advise including food rich in Omega 3 such as nuts, fish, and dark leafy vegetables.
Stay Hydrated
The majority of our eyes are made up of water. If the body is dehydrated, not enough water is supplied to the eyes. When we are dehydrated, one can experience eye strain, double vision, and headaches. Dry eye, a condition wherein not enough tears nourish the eye, can also occur when we are dehydrated. Symptoms of dry eye include irritation and feeling that there is a foreign object in the eye,
Avoid Smoking
Smoking does a lot of harm to the eyes. The smoke itself can cause the eyes to dry. Chemicals in cigarettes are linked to various ocular diseases. Smoking increases your risk of developing cataracts, optic nerve damage, and macular degeneration.
Wear Protective Eye Wear
If you work at a construction site, hospital, or laboratory use eyewear that can protect your eyes. Protective eyewear varies depending on where you are at. Getting a foreign object or chemicals in your eyes can lead to serious damage that can result in blindness.
Wear Sunglasses
Ultraviolet light is linked to a lot of ocular diseases. A very common example is cataracts. Ultraviolet rays harden the lens over time, causing an inability of the lens to focus light on the retina. When light is not focused on the retina, it causes blurred vision and eventually blindness.
Other eye diseases linked to ultraviolet light include photokeratitis, pinguecula, pterygium, and macular degeneration. Make sure to wear sunglasses especially if you are staying under the heat of the sun all day.
Get Your Eyes Checked
Even if you do not have any vision impairments as of the moment, get a baseline eye disease screening and other vision tests at least once a year. This allows for early detection of any degenerative diseases in the eye. Macular degeneration in its early stages does not cause any type of blurred vision and would only manifest signs once it is almost beyond treatment.
Rest Your Eyes
We spend a lot of our time on screens. Spending a lot of time on our computers and cell phones dry and strain the eyes. To reduce any stress on the eyes, follow the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, look away and look straight ahead at a 20 feet distance and allow your eyes to rest for about 2 minutes.
