May is Vision Health Month.
Backed by the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, the month focuses on raising awareness on the protection of our vision and vision health along with eliminating avoidable sight loss.
According to statistics, approximately 75 per cent of vision impairment and loss can be avoided and also treatable utilizing simple, yet effectively steps.
Though positive health initiatives continue to gain traction as a significant point of focus in schools, as a child, ensuring strong vision health was not necessarily at the forefront of one’s attention.
Outside of eating a few carrots and not sitting too close to the television, for many not much attention was given to ensuring our eyes were just as strong as the mind or body.
However, as we become adults and even more so during our senior years, our vision will deteriorate over time.
Luckily, there are some great steps one should take in order to prolong and protect their vision as they reach older ages.
Always Treat Your Eyes Right
Similar to your body, the best way to treat your eyes right is through eating a healthy, balanced diet filled with fruits and vegetables, as this adequately improves the eye condition and helps deterioration.
Doctors have recommended that eye vision can be strengthen by taking the right proportion of Vitamins like Vitamin C, E and A.
Minerals and like mentioned carrots have also been said to be good for the eyes, so it is advisable to eat more of them as an alternative source of nutrients.
Although vitamins won’t necessarily take away the eye problems, they are important in keeping our eyesight in good shape.
Perform Eye Exercises
One of the greatest ways to maintain and improve your eyesight is to fully partake in eye exercises.
Eye exercises can actually reduce the rate at which you make use of your glasses, should you have them.
- Warming your eyes:
This is often used to prepare the eyes in advance before any other exercise is done. Try to massage your eyes after exercising so that the eyes can be returned to a gentle position as it was before.
Rubbing your palms and using the heat from the friction created, place them on your eyes for 5 seconds and repeat a few times.
This can be repeated every 10 seconds. After exercising and the massaging, it is also advisable to rub your palms together and place on your eyes again. The eyes are to be rested after any exercise as we already know it's essential it gets all the rest it can.
- Rolling eyes:
Start by looking up then slowly circling 10 times both clockwise and then counterclockwise.
- Focus:
Focus on a pen held at arm’s length and slowly bring the pen closer. Once around 6 inches away from your nose, move it back slowly and repeat about a dozen times, all while ensuring you're focused on the pen.
- Massaging your temple:
Massage your temples in small circles approximately 20 times in one direction followed by 20 in the other direction, using you thumb knuckles. Do the same about the mid-point of the eyebrows around the forehead and below the eyes on both sides of the nose bridge.
Get Enough Rest
Enough rest and eye health go hand-in-hand.
Ensuring a good amount of sleep is imperative to good vision health. Take breaks from watching a computer or television screen as excessive watching can put a lot of stress on your vision.
It is advisable to take short breaks of 10 minutes for every 15 minutes used in front of a computer. It is also advisable to take a short stroll and look at other things apart from the computer and the illumination of an office.
The 10-10-10 rule can also be followed in the process of resting the eye. It simply implies that you should take a look at something else ten feet away for ten seconds for every ten minutes.
And lastly, cucumbers are not just good to eat but can be used to help and rest stressed eyes by laying down somewhere cool and having a slice over each eyelid.
Don’t Forget
Considering how important good eyesight is, doing what we can to ensure they strong, especially in older age is vital.
The above tips can help you to maintain good eyesight and avoid the potential dangers should they be deteriorating and not necessarily having help to assist you.
As a senior, tripping and/or falling down is the last thing you want for yourself.
The house should be illuminated well from the doorway to the bathroom to limit the risk of falling down and good walking area, free from clutter should be created in the house where it will be easier for someone to pass freely without coming into contact with any hazard.
Remember, it’s always advisable to see a medical professional in case of any noticeable and odd changes in the eyesight.
