3 Ways To Care For Your Eyes

The world around you is beautiful to see, and you take it all in through your eyes. Without these complex organs we wouldn’t be able to appreciate the smile on a baby’s face, the bright colors of the changing seasons, or the beauty of a rainbow so taking care of them should be a priority for anyone. While everyone knows the tip about eating carrots and old wive’s tales about not sitting too close to the TV, there are some real tips you can use to help preserve your eye health.

Diet Really Does Matter, Including Carrots!

What you eat can make an incredible difference on the health of your eyes as healthy eyes require a number of specific nutrients to stay that way. Copper, zinc, and the ACE Vitamins (A, C, E) are key to protecting your eyesight. Look for vegetables that have yellow, orange, or green tones to them and add them to your diet if you’re serious about a life with great eyesight. Lesser known components that help are lecithin, sulfur, and cysteine, all found in capers, onions, garlic, and shallots. A final note on this subject, fatty acids are good for more than just your hair, and are an excellent support for your eyes.

Your Eyes Need Exercise Too!

This is one that isn’t talked about much, but there are real and effective methods for exercising your eyes. The best time to perform these exercises are when your eyes are feeling fatigued, or when you wake up and just before bed. Wash your hands, still your mind, and do the following exercises.

• Warm Up – Either using a warm wash-cloth or just rubbing your hands together to generate heat, warm up your eyes. Using the hand method means you’ll want to press your warmed palms against your eyes three times to accomplish this.
• Roll Your Eyes – Probably best to not be listening to someone speak when you perform this step. Start by looking at the ceiling, and then rotate your eyes to the right 10 times, and then to the left 10 times, stopping each time only when you’ve come back to your starting point. (So full circles)
• Focusing Exercise – Take a pen and hold it as far from you as your arm will reach, and then slowly bring it to towards your face until it stands about six inches from your nose. Move it back out to arm’s length, and back again 10 times. Do this while keeping your eyes focused on the pen.

Rest Your Eyes

Your eyes need a break now and then too, so make sure you’re getting enough sleep so your eyes can have time to repair, recover, and rest from the days activities. A lack of sleep has been shown to contribute to poor eye health. Every hour or so during your workday, take a moment to rest your eyes for a few minutes, with 10 minutes out of every hour being optimal. For very tired eyes there’s nothing better than cucumber slices on your eyelids.

These tips are great ways to protect your eyes and ensure they last a lifetime. Dr. Paul Trapeni, Jr at The Optical Shoppe in Smyrna, TN is able to help you with tips like these, and with maintaining peak optical health for a lifetime. Call and schedule an appointment today.