Don’t neglect your eye health. Here’s what can be done
If your job requires you to stare into your computer screen for much of the day, or if your eyes are glued to your smartphones or TV all the time, this is for you. Your eyes are bearing the brunt of modern, digital lives, and this can lead to problems.
Headaches, dry eyes or watery eyes are signs of an imminent eye problem, but most of us tend to ignore these symptoms. Some of the eventual hazards — such as presbyopia (difficulty to focus on close-up objects), cataract (clouding of the eye’s lens), floaters, flashes and age-related macular degeneration, commonly known as AMD — can be eliminated if we invest some time in eye care.
MAKE THESE SIMPLE LIFESTYLE CHANGES
Drink 6-8 glasses of water every day to keep your eyes moist, healthy and clean. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, and foods rich in antioxidants to slow the progression of eye diseases. Give your eyes a break from digital screens. Follow the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away from your screen for 20 seconds! Quit cigarettes, as smoking increases the risk of eye diseases, especially cataract. Wear UV-protected sunglasses to protect your eyes from harmful rays of the sun.
ADD EYE EXERCISES TO YOUR ROUTINE
Palming: Rub your palms against each other and cup them on closed eyelids without putting too much pressure. Zooming: Lengthen your arm to a comfortable stretch and keep the thumb in a hitchhiking position. Start focusing on the thumb when your arms are fully stretched. Slowly bring your thumb closer, all the while keeping your focus on the thumb. Stop focusing when your thumb is 3 inches away from your eyes. Repeat this process at least thrice every week. Tracing the figure ‘Eight’: This exercise helps in improving the flexibility of eye muscles. At a distance of approximately 10 feet, visualise an image of eight on its side (resembling the Infinity symbol). Then slowly trace the figure with your eyes for a few minutes and repeat it at regular intervals. Pendulum exercise: This exercise sharpens the focus of lenses by working on oblique muscles of the eye. You can use either a real pendulum or an imaginary one. The idea is to concentrate on the pendulum and follow its movement by shifting the focus of eyes from sideto-side.