When it comes to interacting with the world around you, your eyesight is your most important sense. It is also the most sensitive, and damage to your eye can result in permanent consequences. However, you can easily keep your eyes safe from harm and ensure that you can see clearly throughout your life.
Wear Protection and Avoid Accidents
Workplace accidents are common, and the disasters that involve eyesight can be some of the most harrowing and frightening. In Australia, the most serious eye injuries are the ones that happen in the workplace.
One way to eliminate eye-related accidents is simply wearing safety glasses. These glasses protect your eyes from chemical splashes and flying debris that can cause severe damage to the eye. Wearing safety glasses is especially important when working with machine tools.
These machines can inadvertently cause bits of metal or some other material to break off and enter the eye at very high speeds. Compressed air can similarly create this occurrence as high pressure can propel tiny bits of moisture or specks of material into your eye. Safety glasses are also essential when working with chemicals. Though accidents are rare, the consequences of one can be severe if your eyes are involved.
The Future Will Still Be Bright if You Wear Shades
Staring at the sun is a bad idea. One of the components of sunlight is ultraviolet (UV) radiation. UV radiation will cause macular degeneration and increase your chance of developing cataracts. UV radiation also causes skin cancer, so aside from sunglasses, you might want to get some sunscreen as well. Make sure you get glasses made explicitly with UV protection. These glasses can block 99 per cent of UV, so make sure that you wear them when you need to step out into the light.
Healthy Living and Healthy Eyes
There really is a link between an active and healthy life and clear eyesight. Get enough exercise and eat right, especially foods rich in lutein, zinc, omega-3, and vitamins. Supplements are fine, but real food is better.
Obesity comes with a host of problems. High BMI and diabetes can lead to early onset macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma. You can also lose your vision once you suffer a stroke, so ease up on those large portions.
Regular exercise will drop your chances of developing age-related macular degeneration by almost 70 per cent and somewhat regulate your weight. All that exercise can be tough on the lungs, especially if you smoke. Aside from making exercising harder, smoking also raises your chances of developing cataracts and damaging your optic nerve.
An active lifestyle keeps you away from computer and TV screens. You don’t blink as much when you’re in front of these screens, so try to consciously rest your eyes every 20 minutes by looking away from the screen for a few seconds.
Eyesight is essential to your independence, livelihood, and social interactions. Losing your vision could hamper one or all of these things. Keep your eyes safe, and don’t lose sight of the future.
