How to keep your eyes healthy: 6 tips
Eat insane amounts of garden-fresh carrots. Like, truck beds of carrots.* THE END. (Shortest blog ever.)
Okay, hold up. We just did some digging (pun?), and it turns out there are a lot more things you can do to keep your eyes healthy besides eating more carrots. That age-old advice about carrots being the best thing ever for eyes does have some merit, as carrots contain vision-supporting nutrients like vitamin A, but there are plenty of other things you can do to support healthy eyes for life. Let’s talk about ‘em.
What do healthy eyes look like?
Before we can learn how to take care of our eyes, we need to know what healthy eyes look like. Beyond that pretty iris of yours and all that squishy, white surface, you’ve got quite a complex system that works together to give you sight. Here are the different parts of the eye and how they work:
- Sclera: This is the large, white surface of your eye. The sclera acts as a protective wall. If your sclera becomes yellow or discolored, it may be a sign of an underlying health condition.
- Cornea: The clear, bulging surface that sits in front of the eye is called the cornea. It uses light to help you see. Signs of corneal issues could include redness, swelling, or irritation.
- Iris: That beautiful, colored part of the eye works to open and close your pupil. An iris that changes shape or size or appears to have discoloration could be abnormal.
- Lens: Right behind your iris is the lens. The lens is much like a camera lens, helping you focus and see up close.
- Pupil: This center of the iris lets in light when it’s dark and narrows to filter light when it’s bright. A healthy pupil should retract in the light and get bigger in the dark.
- Retina: The retina takes the light that comes in through the cornea and transforms that light so we can see what’s in front of us. An unhealthy retina could affect your vision in various ways.
- Optic nerve: These fibers send messages to your brain to help you identify the objects you’re looking at. Vision loss and distorted vision could be a sign that your optic nerve isn’t functioning properly.
- Vitreous humor: This gel in the lens and retina area keeps the eye round and healthy. As far as we know, it has nothing to do with being funny. At least we’ve never heard it tell a joke.
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Here's how to have healthy, happy eyes.
There’s a lot you can do to keep your eyes in ship-shape. And the best part is, you can start right now. Follow these tips to make sure your eyes are well taken care of.
Be a regular at the eye doctor.
First, make sure to get regular eye exams at your eye doctor to stay on top of your vision and catch anything that might be preventative. Always follow your eye doctor's recommendations for eyecare if you wear contacts or glasses.
Wear cool sunglasses.
Did you know you should wear sunglasses outside all year long, not just in the summer? Sunglasses help shield your eyes from the sun’s rays which can be harmful to your eyes over time, leading to health conditions such as cancer or vision loss. For extra protection, look for 100% UVA/UVB blocking sunglasses. Need a go-to for sunnies? We’ve got some awesome aviators and other styles over at our eyewear brand, The Framery. All of The Framery's sun lenses are 100% UV blocking, too.
Say no to smoking.
Smoking has been linked to cataracts, nerve damage, and even macular degeneration, which is an eye disease that leads to severe loss of vision, so the sooner you quit, the better your eyes will be for it.
Get some veggies in your diet.
Is there ever an article about healthy (insert body part here) that doesn’t involve eating your vegetables? Probably not. Veggies are just so chock-full of nutrients that we can’t help but give them their own section. Foods like spinach and kale contain lutein, which is an antioxidant that benefits the eyes, and of course, carrots, squash, and pumpkin all contain eye-friendly vitamin A.
Be a hygiene queen (or king).
Having healthy eyes means helping them stave off infections. Make sure you wash your hands before putting in and taking out your contacts, and only use your contact lenses the recommended amount of wear time.
Reduce screen time.
All that extra screen time we get these days causes us to strain our eyes more than we probably should. To combat the dryness and eye fatigue that comes along with excess screen time use, the general rule of thumb we’ve heard is to blink often and take a break every 20 minutes looking away from your computer for 20 seconds.
Keeping your eyes healthy is easier than it looks, right? And while it goes beyond just “eat more carrots,” it’s really just a matter of lifestyle adjustments that will get you there.
*Not real dietary advice. Please don’t eat a truck bed of carrots. Unless you’re a giant rabbit. But even then, you should check with your veterinarian.
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