Impaired vision is a common health issue affecting people of all ages. Some people are near-sighted or unable to focus objects at a distance, whereas others are far-sighted, i.e. can see objects more clearly at a distance as opposed to objects close at hand.
Of course, wearing glasses or contacts can effectively improve a person’s vision, but there are other ways as well. Read on and find out what you should do to see better.
- RESTING YOUR EYES
Giving your eyes a break several times a day is vital for your eye health. You simply need to close your eyes for a few minutes or go to a room with low light. Also, if you work on the computer for several hours a day, it’s recommended that you adjust the brightness of the screen so as to reduce the strain it puts on your eyes.
- TAKING YOUR GLASSES OFF
Taking your glasses off for some time every day is also beneficial for your eyes. A Brazilian study found that glasses can actually damage to your vision. Another study carried out by the Ghana Medical Journal found that 64% of Nigerian undergraduate students believe that glasses are harmful to your eyes.
- EYE MASSAGE
Massage your eyes round your eye socket on a regular basis. You can also use your index finger and thumb to gently press on the area right above the inner corner of your eyes. To increase the blood flow in the eye area, massaging your temples and the area on the back of your skull just behind your eye sockets.
- 20-20-20 RULE
As mentioned above, giving your eyes a break several times a day is vital for their health. This is especially important if you spend long hours in front of the computer. The 20-20-20 rule is highly beneficial for this. Every 20 minutes you stay in front of the computer should be followed by a break which requires staring at something that’s 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.
- GOING OUTSIDE
Spending time in nature is beneficial not only for your overall health, but for your vision too. This is because your eyes are exposed to fewer sources of light that may impair your vision.
- WARM COMPRESSION
Many eye problems are commonly treated with warm compression. What you do is gently press a warm, damp cloth against your eyes and hold it for 30 minutes. Do this on a regular daily basis. This is extremely beneficial for moistening dry eyes.
- ADDING TO YOUR DIET
Following a well-balanced healthy diet that includes a lot of carrots and sweet potatoes on a daily basis is also important, especially because these vegetables are rich in vitamin A, the most important nutrient for good vision .
- EXERCISING YOUR EYES
The chart below gives 16 simple exercises that you can do in order to improve your vision and strengthen your eyes. What you do is follow the lines in the direction given by the arrows. If you are trying this for the first time, it’s important to focus on each symbol separately.
