Get a Clear Vision of Your Future

Do you consider your eyes one of your best assets? If so, it’s likely you spend considerable time playing up their strengths. Eye shadow, eye liner, and mascara can all help you to enhance their shape and their depth. But the experts stress that while using makeup to call attention to your eyes can be one thing you do to make yourself look and feel great, it is a lot less important than taking preventative steps to keep them truly healthy and safe.

The Eyes Have It

Over the course of your lifetime, your skin tone, body shape, and hair texture and color may all change. But the color, depth, and beauty of your eyes will likely stay the same. And how you care for them can make all of the difference in your vision fate as you age. Here are some things you can do to help keep your eyes in great shape:

Get proper nutrition. The medical field has long recognized that foods that are high in certain vitamins and minerals are essential to keep your eyes healthy and your vision at its best. In fact, a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) called the Age-Related Eye Disease Study further discovered that getting enough Vitamin A,C, and E as well as Zinc can help people at high risk for macular degeneration reduce their chances of getting this serious age-related condition. Vitamin A can also be essential for another reason, since people who have a deficiency can experience extreme dryness of their cornea and if left untreated, this can eventually lead to blindness.

Wear protective gear. When you participate in contact sports, engage in home-repair projects, or work with chemicals and other potentially hazardous substances, you may be putting your eyes at unnecessary risk. But the experts say that taking extra care and wearing protective glasses made of sturdy plastic, preferably with sides attached, or even heavy safety goggles, can make a big difference. If you wear prescription glasses, look for special goggles that will fit over your frames, or if you need protection often, you can even look into having a pair made using corrective lenses.

Cover up in outdoor spaces. When your eyes are exposed to ultraviolet rays, this puts them at risk for cataracts, macular degeneration, and other conditions. You can minimize the dangers by wearing sunglasses that block out most of the rays. To get the best fit, always read the labels to find lenses that offer adequate levels of protection from both ultraviolet A and B rays. The experts also suggest that at the beach or on the ski slopes, you wear a hat to further shade your eyes and face.

Try not to overdo it. When you read, sew, or type in dim light, you may find the muscles around your eyes feeling tired and strained. In addition, spending long amounts of time in front of the television or computer screen can also cause your eyes to get strained. This can lead to discomfort, including watery, achy eyes, and even a headache. To prevent this from happening, make you sure you always have adequate light and periodically take a break to rest your eyes.

Get regular eye exams. Part of taking proper care of your eyes includes getting them checked by a professional. That way, if you experience any vision changes, you can take the necessary steps to address them at an early stage. Plus, if you find yourself experiencing blurry vision, redness and irritation, or extreme dryness, you should see your doctor to rule out various eye infections and other conditions that require treatment.