It’s February. Naturally, we are feeling the love—and for us, that includes an important lifelong relationship with your eyes! There’s no better time than now to share these eight ways to show your eyes love this month and beyond.
Eat a well-balanced diet.
A healthy diet isn’t just good for our bodies, it’s good for our eyes too. Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is key. Be sure you’re adding dark leafy greens like kale and spinach, plus servings of fish high in omega-3 fatty acids to your diet, for example.
Keep your eyes hydrated.
Along with drinking plenty of water to help keep your eyes hydrated, natural eye drops can help too. Our eyes can easily dry out for a variety of reasons, from lack of water to seasonal allergies to the weather.
Talk to your eye doctor about safe rewetting drops or artificial tears to help alleviate the symptoms of dry eyes.
Wear protective eyewear.
Whether you are doing yard work, home maintenance, on the job or playing sports, protective eyewear can help reduce the risk of eye injuries. Protective eyewear can also help keep your eyes free of dirt, dust and debris.
Invest in a good pair of sunglasses.
Sunglasses with UV protection are a must all year. The sun may not be as direct in the winter, but nonetheless, the sun’s rays can still cause damage.
Fortunately, good UV protection sunglasses are available year-round. In fact, you can start by ordering a trendy pair online from our sister store, Mississippi Eyewear Starkville!
Pamper those peepers.
Not only should you treat yourself to stylish sunglasses, treat your eyes to some pampering. Both cucumbers and sweet potato slices can help reduce swelling and dark circles.
No veggies in sight? Try putting a cool cloth or chilled teaspoons on your eyes to reduce puffiness and pesky dark circles.
Quit smoking.
Simply put, if you are a smoker, your eyes are two more reasons to quit. Research shows smoking increases your risk for certain eye diseases, including cataracts, optic nerve damage and age-related macular degeneration.
Give your eyes a break.
Remember to let your eyes rest throughout the day. Thanks to more and more screen time for most of us, eye strain is common. Apply the 20-20-20 rule to help reduce the effects of eye strain.
To clarify, take a 20-second break from the screen every 20 minutes by focusing on something about 20-feet away.
Schedule your comprehensive eye exam.
Out of all the ways to show your eyes love that we’ve covered, this is the best idea yet! The only way to actually make sure your eyes are healthy is with a comprehensive, annual eye exam. This also ensures your corrective eyewear prescription is current.
Summary
Now that you know about these eight ways to show your eyes love, watch out for healthy vision ahead! It all starts at your local Mississippi Eye Care clinic. Keep your eyes on our blogs for more vision health news and eye care tips.
