The eyes are a very sensitive organ that is prone to various pathologies. And at the same time, vision is our main sense organ. More than 80% of information about the world around us, we get just with the eyes. Therefore, the task of maintaining the completeness of the eye parts and functions of the visual apparatus is relevant literally for each of us. How to maintain eye health and good vision, we will tell you in this article.
What Can Impair Visual Function?
There are a lot of reasons why eyes hurt, and vision suffers, and falls. These are all kinds of injuries, occupational hazards, and toxins, ionizing radiation, ophthalmological diseases, genetic factors, etc. But a professional ophthalmologist should work with all these disorders. In case you find any deterioration in your eyesight, first of all, you should immediately seek advice from an ophthalmological clinic. Self-medication can be not only useless but even dangerous. And besides, it is very important not to waste time and start therapy as soon as possible. This will significantly reduce the risk of complications and help maintain vision as much as possible.
How To Prevent Eye Diseases?
This is a very correct question that each of us must ask. After all, if you turned to an ophthalmologist, this means that the deterioration of visual function has already begun. And whether it will be possible to return it in full in such a situation is a question. A much smarter and more effective way is proper eye care, hygiene, and prevention of vision pathologies. It takes a little time, is completely free because you do it yourself, but at the same time it will help prevent the development of many ophthalmic pathologies.
So, what are the rules of eye hygiene you need to follow in order to maintain good vision?
In order to avoid eye fatigue, overexertion, and the development of related disorders, you should follow a number of rules:
1. Your workplace should be well and evenly lit.
2. Try to keep the field of view free from shiny objects, glare, or harsh shadows.
3. Maintain correct posture while working in a sitting position.
4. While reading, do not tilt your head too much and place the text carrier 30–35 cm from the eyes.
5. Do not read in public transport – there are few things that tire your eyes like trying to constantly change the focus of your gaze when jerking back and forth or from side to side.
6. Do not work behind a computer monitor in the dark, there should be another source of soft light nearby.
7. Take short breaks every 40–45 minutes of work or reading. During these breaks, exercises should be performed to relieve tension from the eye muscles.
The last point is especially important for maintaining vision while reading or at the computer. The simplest exercises are to look for 2-3 minutes at an object of soft green color, and also slowly move your gaze several times from an object closer to you to a distant one. But it’s even more beneficial to do a little workout periodically. The set of eye exercises includes the following steps:
1. Sitting in a chair, straighten your back and look straight ahead.
2. Slowly move your gaze in this order: left and forward, right and forward, up and forward, down and forward. Do it smoothly without stopping at the endpoints.
3. Slowly make circular eye movements, 5 times clockwise and counterclockwise.
4. Look at the tip of your finger 30 cm from your eyes. Then look at the far wall of the room. Repeat 5 times.
5. Close your eyes tightly, and then blink.
6. Gently massage your closed eyes with your index and middle fingers, and then close your eyes with your palms for 1 minute.
Does gymnastics help your eyes? Yes. Its action is based on the fact that such exercises:
- Activate blood circulation in the periocular zone
- Reduce intraocular pressure
- Strengthen the musculature of the visual apparatus
- Relieve fatigue from the muscles that contract the lens
How to do Eye Palming?
Palming is one good way to get your vision to rest quickly. Connect your fingers in the forehead, tightly covering your eyes with the center of your palms. The edges should touch the nose slightly, and the thumbs should rest on the temples. Remain in this position for at least 2-3 minutes.
Proper nutrition
Your diet also affects your eye health. Of particular importance is the sufficient content of certain vitamins in food, in particular:
- Vitamin A. It is needed to maintain the health of the mucous membranes of the eye, as well as for the synthesis of substances necessary for the ability to distinguish colors.
- Vitamin B2. It is involved in ensuring normal visual function and improves visual acuity, especially in low light conditions.
- Vitamin C. The state of the vessels of the eye largely depends on it, and therefore, its blood supply and the health of the retina.
Sun protection
Direct ultraviolet radiation has a detrimental effect on the visual apparatus, leading to retinal degradation. On the beach, in the mountains, and in general in the bright sun, be sure to wear sunglasses. In addition, the sharp contrast of light and shadow is very tiring for the eyes. And therefore, leaving a dark room on a sunny street, close your eyes and stand there for 15–20 seconds.
How to choose the right glasses for improving vision?
This procedure is carried out using special Golovin-Sivtsev tables and their analogs. These are well-known tables with letters of different sizes. But it should be borne in mind that such checks can only be performed by ophthalmologists. They know how to do it correctly and what conditions must be observed in order to get reliable results. And on the basis of these results, the ophthalmologist will select glasses for you. In addition, today, more sophisticated medical devices such as slit lamps, autorefractometers, visual field analyzers, phoropters, etc., are used to select vision-correcting optics.
Contact lens use and care
In order for your contact lenses to serve as long as possible and not lead to the development of any side effects, they must be properly installed and properly looked after. Compliance with these recommendations is an important part of the prevention of eye infections. The following points should be observed:
1. Always wash and dry your hands before touching the lenses.
2. When putting on contact lenses, always start with the same eye. If your right and left lenses have different diopter readings, this will help you not to confuse them.
3. Always clean the lenses immediately after removing them.
4. Do not wash either the lenses or their container with plain water. Use only a special fluid designed for this.
5. Change the solution in the container before each lens used.
6. Clean the lens by placing it on a clean, dry palm. Put a drop of disinfectant solution on it, rub gently with your finger, and then apply a few more drops of disinfectant solution.
7. Turn the lens over and do the same on the other side of the lens. Then place the lens in the container.
8. Repeat these steps for the second lens, then close the container and pause to disinfect. Its duration depends on the specific solution, so read the instructions carefully.
9. The lens container also needs to be cleaned periodically. First, you need to pour the solution out of it, then rinse with the same solution and let the container dry by turning it upside down and placing it on a clean paper towel.
10. Change the container to a new one every month.