5 Ways to Project Your Eyes: Tips to Keep Your Vision Sharp
Focusing in on a few things can keep your vision sharp. Here are five ways to project your eyes.
1. Throw some shade.
“The sun can damage your lens and retina, just like it can damage your skin,” explains the American Academy of Ophthalmology. To protect your papers outdoors, wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses. Look for a pair that blocks out 99 to 100 percent of both UVA and UVB radiation.”
2. Give it a rest.
According to the NIH's National Eye Institute, if you spend a lot of time at the computer or focusing on any one thing, you sometimes forget to blink and your eyes get fatigued. Try the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look away about 20 feet in front of you for 20 seconds.
3. Eat right.
It's no old wives' tale. “Carrots, which contain vitamin A, are indeed good for the eyes,” explain the folks at Harvard Medical School. “But fresh fruits and dark green leafy vegetables, which contain more antioxidant vitamins, such as C and E, are even better for eye health. “
4. Get active.
Per the vision experts at NY’s Versant Health: “Cardiovascular exercises such as aerobics will lower intraocular pressure, which is pressure in your eyes, and that helps to keep the [eyes’] cells protected. It also increases the flow of blood to the optic nerve and the retina. Because of these effects, overall eye health can be improved.”
5. Check it out.
“Eye diseases are common and can go unnoticed for a long time,” says the CDC. “A comprehensive dilated eye exam by an optometrist or ophthalmologist is necessary to find eye diseases in the early stages when treatment to prevent vision loss is most effective,” as it tests visual acuity (sharpness), depth perception, eye alignment and eye movement.