Some simple guidelines to take care of your Eyes

Through out the day, we use our eyes constantly for some activity or the other, from wake up to sleep. It is easy to take the God’s gift of eye sight for granted. Our eyes are an important part of our health and should be taken care as well. Below are some simple tips to make sure you are seeing your best.

• Every hour, rest your eyes by looking at distant objects either in your office or outside the window for about 5 minutes. This helps your eyes focus better.
• Drink plenty of water. When you consume less water, especially in an air-conditioned office, the body starts storing water as a defense mechanism. This adds to puffiness around the eyes.
• Incorporate vitamins A, C, and E in your daily diet. Citrus fruits, green leafy veggies, tomatoes, poultry, and dairy products are great sources of these and many more nutrients.
• Ideally, the contact lenses should not be worn for more than 10-12 hours a day and occasionally for 14 hours.
• Increasing age is the key factor in age-related cataracts, the most common type of cataract, and yet beyond our control. But the age at which a person, or rather an eye develops cataract is variable.
• Studies have shown that early development of age-related cataract does run in families – but whether this is because of some hidden genetic factors, or because of sharing a common environment, remains unclear.
• Studies have indirectly shown links to the early development of cataract in people with outdoor occupations, and in tropical countries like India as compared to temperate climate countries. While a little sunlight is good for eyes, use UV-protective sunglasses to reduce your exposure to UV rays in harsh sunlight.
• Cataract is yet another harmful fallout of smoking. Chemicals absorbed from cigarette smoke enter the bloodstream and oxidize the clear transparent proteins (called “crystallins”) within the natural lens. Oxidative damage leads to a loss of transparency and hardening of the lens.
• Diabetics not only tend to develop cataracts earlier but once diagnosed, it tends to worsen faster as well. Sugar in the bloodstream increases oxidative damage to the lens proteins and interferes with their capacity to remain clear. Good diabetic control may help in lowering this risk.
• No contact lenses while swimming, the pool water houses various microorganisms. In addition, the chlorine in the water can damage your contact lenses.

Short breaks between long working hours refresh your eyes. First, blink your eyes several times. While you keep your eyes closed, roll your eyeballs both clockwise and anticlockwise and take a deep breath. Gradually open your eyes while releasing your breath. This exercise should last for a minute and you can repeat it three times before getting back to work. It is a good workout for the eyes.

If dirt enters your eyes, do not rub your eyes. Instead, blink several times to start your tears flowing; this will help flush out the dirt. You can also wash your eyes by splashing them with clean, boiled, and cooled water.
If you rub your eyes, the dirt particle will stick inside and scratch the cornea, disturbing your vision and irritating your eyes. In such cases, seek your eye doctor’s help immediately or you can visit Nandyal Eye Care Centre.

All eye drops should be discarded within a month after opening their seals. Once opened, eye drops lose their sterility. Germs can enter the bottle and lead to an eye infection. Besides, the medicinal properties of some eye drops tend to deteriorate due to exposure to the external atmosphere, making them unsuitable for your eyes.

Using eye care products
Before buying an eye-care product such as eye drops, always check the expiry date and the prescription. Lubricating eye drops can be refrigerated and used for a soothing effect before sleeping.

Optician or Ophthalmologist?
It is always advisable to visit an eye specialist prior to visiting an optician. An ophthalmologist is trained to detect several other eye-related ailments, apart from checking spectacles power. At Nandyal Eye care Centre, we provide the best eye care.

Protective eyewear
While driving, wear protective eye wear such as sunglasses with UV protection during day driving and anti-glare glasses for night-time driving, especially if you are wearing contact lenses. Make sure the eye wear covers the sides of your eyes as well. Those who ride two-wheeler, remember to protect your head with a helmet!

Antiglare glasses are mainly used for focused light, such as full-beam car headlights, and serve well for night driving. But these are also effective in reducing eye strain while working on a computer or laptop. If you wear contact lenses, you can use a pair of zero-powered antiglare glasses for the same purpose.

Dry Eyes due to your occupation

An air-conditioned office environment coupled with a computer-intensive job is the perfect combination for dry eyes. Drinking adequate water is therefore essential. However, if the problem persists, visit your ophthalmologist as soon as possible or you can visit Nandyal Eye Care Centre, Kalburgi.

Eye care for Children

• Whenever your child is reading, watching television, or working on any screen, ensure adequate light so your child can see well, without shadows interfering or the need to strain.
• If your child is writing with the right hand, ensure that light is on the left side so the hand’s shadow does not fall on the writing material.
• Children should take a break from the computer every thirty minutes to rest their eyes.
• In case of injury to your child’s eye, just cover the eye with a clean handkerchief or sunglasses and visit an ophthalmologist immediately, even if it seems to be a minor injury. At Nandyal Eye Care Centre, Kalburgi, we have special provisions to provide the best eye care for children.