How to Care for Your Eyes: Do’s & Don’ts

Our eyes are one precious part of our body. Unlike broken bones and skin abrasions, serious eye injuries don’t always repair themselves. Losing your sight can be life-altering because it can’t be recovered. Some extra care and attention can help your eyes stay healthy and serve you well for the rest of your life.

There are a few things you should do (and not do) to ensure your eyes enjoy the best possible conditions for optimum health. 

UV rays are as damaging to our eyes as they are to our skin. When being outdoors protect your eyes with a hat and sunglasses from direct sunlight. If you don’t have a hat or sunglasses use your hand to shade your eyes and seek shelter from the harsh sun. The ultraviolet protection by the sunglasses will protect the lens of your eye and the delicate skin in the eye area, which is prone to wrinkles when exposed to too much sun.
Nevertheless, some experts believe that a few minutes of bright, indirect sunlight exposure to your eyes in the morning can bring many benefits.

While you don’t need to chomp on a kilo of carrots to keep your eyes healthy, a healthy diet goes a long way to good eye health. Eating nutrient-rich foods that contain zinc, copper, vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta carotene may reduce your risk of age-related decline in eye health by 25%. You’ll find these nutrients in nuts, legumes, seeds, leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, fish, carrots, sweet potatoes, beef, and eggs. Staying well hydrated is vital to good eye health, so drink plenty of water.

The most common way to detect eye problems is to have regular eye checks. Changes to the eyes can happen slowly, and some may present without any obvious signs. Early detection of issues means you can start treatment early and reduce the risk of permanent damage to your eyes.

If you work in an office and/or look at a computer screen all day, give your eyes a rest by looking away from the screen. Every hour or as often as needed, choose a point in the distance for your eyes to have a break from looking at closer objects.

Rubbing our eyes is a natural response when we’re tired or feel like there is something gritty in there. But this increases the risk of damaging your delicate eyes. Rubbing your eyes can cause the cornea tissue to weaken and bulge in some people. Excessive rubbing can scratch, inflame, and cause blood vessels in the eye to break resulting in bloodshot eyes.

Some health conditions put your eyes at increased risk of serious eye problems if they are left untreated. A large proportion of the adult population suffers from high blood pressure, and many don’t keep it under control. High blood pressure can damage blood vessels in the eyes. The increased pressure can lead to glaucoma, which can cause vision loss.

People with diabetes and pre-diabetes can have diabetic retinopathy, which can damage blood vessels that lead to the retina. Retinopathy leads to blurry vision and dark spots.

Autoimmune conditions including multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, lupus, and Graves’ disease can affect vision, cause dry eyes, eye pain, itching, gritty sensation, and sensitivity to light.

Children are less likely to have a health condition that impacts the eyes compared to adults. Seniors are most likely to suffer from one or more health conditions that affect vision.

Our eyes are a window into our lifestyle. Taking good care of your body and general health means your eyes will likely benefit. And vice versa, making poor lifestyle choices may end up reflecting in your eyes’ health.

Rubbing our eyes is a natural response when we’re tired or feel like there is something gritty in there. But this increases the risk of damaging your delicate eyes. Rubbing your eyes can cause the cornea tissue to weaken and bulge in some people. Excessive rubbing can scratch, inflame, and cause blood vessels in the eye to break resulting in bloodshot eyes.

Dry eye is a common eye condition. It can be caused by medications, menopause, and lack of tears, to name a few. Dry eye not only impacts quality of life but if left untreated for a long time, the surface of the eye can suffer. If you think you may be suffering from dry eye, see your doctor.

Replacing eye makeup whenever it expires is a must. Most manufacturers recommend discarding any liquid products used in areas near the eye within 3 months. Mascara and liquid eyeliner have an increased risk of spreading bacteria compared to pencil-style eyeliners which can be used for 12 months before expiring. The bacteria in old eye makeup can cause styes, staph, and eye infections. If you are unsure how long you have been using the makeup, it might be worth throwing it out, buying new products, and writing the expiry date on the product to know when to replace it.

Our whole body needs good quality and quantity of rest every night, including our eyes.

Smoking causes decreased oxygen levels in the blood and changes in the eyes that can lead to vision loss. Smokers are up to 3 times more likely to develop cataracts compared to non-smokers. Alcohol can cause dry eyes, cause the eye’s blood vessels to dilate, and damage the optic nerve. 

It might be tempting to go to bed after a night out without removing all traces of makeup from your face, but it is a bad idea. Sleeping with makeup on means makeup particles can get into your eyes and cause infections and irritation, which can impact your vision. Not removing mascara makes lashes prone to breakage.

Taking good care of your eyes won’t fix near or far-sightedness but contributes significantly to having the best possible eye health now and in your later years. If you want more information about eye health or are considering laser eye surgery, take our online suitability test, contact us online or call (08) 9381 0758.