Most of us take our eyes for granted. It has been often noticed that an individual splurges on expensive sunglasses for looking smarter. But, when it comes to the health of eyes, he or she is either ignorant or simply reluctant to do anything. This tendency is bad for the health of your precious eyes.

Remember, how you use them to stare at the screens of your gadgets all day long. Take out some time from your busy schedule and take care of your eyes. They are precious and vulnerable too.

Follow the tips below to keep your eyesight intact till your dying day:

Eat right for a good vision: It is very important to provide the right and sufficient amounts of nutrients to your body for developing or maintaining a good eye sight. Include nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zinc, and vitamins C and E in your regular diet to boost your eyesight. Food items like green and leafy vegetables, salmon, tuna, and other oily fish, eggs, nuts, beans, and other non-meat protein sources, oranges and other citrus fruits or juices and oysters and pork are excellent for the eye. The intake of a balanced diet keeps you away from diabetes, which causes blindness.
Give up smoking: Cigarettes or other tobacco products are bad for your eyes. They make your eyes more vulnerable to diseases like cataracts, optic nerve damage, and macular degeneration.
Guard your eyes from sunlight: It has been found that long exposure to sunlight leads to damage of the eyeballs. This happens as the UV rays in sunlight have an adverse impact on our eyes. You must put on sunglasses when you are outdoors for a longer period. You must choose sunglasses which give you 90 to 100 percent protection against sunlight. UV rays can cause cataracts and macular degeneration.
Avoid the screen: It is advisable to not spend long hours sitting in front of the computer screen or TV. Take breaks while working on the computer. Also, remember blinking your eyes while staring at the screen to avoid drying up of the eyes. Blinking increases tear production, keeping the eyes moist and healthy.
Use safety devices: If you work with hazardous substances, it is advisable that you put on safety devices on your eyes for their protection.
Hydrate your eyes: In order to have a good vision, you must hydrate your eyes by splashing water on your eyes wide open at specific intervals in a day. When you wash your face after returning from outside, don't forget to wash your eyes as well. As you splash water on the eyes, the dust particles on the surface of the eyelid, gathered from outside, gets washed away. f you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a ophthalmologist.

Tips for Improved Eye Health

The ability to see is one of our greatest powers and it needs to be valued and looked after. Sometimes this involves wearing glasses to improve our vision. Spectacles not only help us see better but also prevent straining and further deterioration of the eye muscles. Here are a few signs to watch out for that will indicate your need for spectacles. Keep in mind however that a comprehensive eye exam is the only way to determine the power required for your spectacles. 

-  Blurred vision
Blurred vision or the inability to focus on something in the distance is one of the first signs or eye deterioration. When it comes to children, watch out for complaints of inability to read the writing on class blackboards.

-  Frequent headaches
Unexplained headaches that come and go could be a sign that you need glasses. These headaches can usually be felt at the end of a long day or after watching television. 

-  Constant squinting
Squinting is a natural way to improve vision. This is because the act of squinting reduces extra light and light scattering thus allowing us to see something clearer. Thus, if you notice yourself squinting more than usual it is time to schedule an eye exam.

-  Difficulty working on a computer
Struggling to read figures and words on a computer screen is usually a sign of poor vision. Try adjusting your screen angle and the distance of the screen from your eyes to see if your vision improves or worsens. 


-  Difficulty adjusting to lights
Sudden increased sensitivity to lights can be a sign of many eye disorders with vision problems being the most common. 


-  Eye strain
Occasional pain in the eyes after a long day or as a result of an allergic reaction is nothing to worry about. However, if this pain persists for a few days, it could be an indication that you need spectacles. 
Deterioration of vision is usually a very gradual process and so you may not realize when it begins. However, the earlier you start wearing corrective glasses to improve your vision the easier it will be to control the deterioration of the eye muscles and you may even be able to rectify your condition completely. So, do not ignore any of these warning signs. Even if you do not have any of these symptoms, it is a good idea to get a thorough eye examination at least once a year.

Common Signs You Need Glasses

People are well aware of the harmful effects that UV rays have on the skin, but very few know that UV rays can damage their eyes as well. The tissue that human eye is made up of is one of the most sensitive tissues in the body and hence, the most vulnerable. The increasing level of UV radiation reaching the Earth s surface every minute has made it indispensable to take the required precautionary measures to protect the eyes.

What are UV rays?

Sunlight consists of 3 types of radiations - Infrared, Visible light and UltraViolet. Artificial sources like lasers, tanning beds and welding machines also emit UV radiation.

There are three types of UV radiations - UV-A, UV-B and UV-C. 

UV-C is absorbed by the ozone layer and does not possess any risk. It is UV-A and UV-B radiations that adversely affect the eyes and vision.

Impact of UV rays on  eyes

Too much exposure to UV rays can affect vision, harm the eyes, and deteriorate overall eye health. There are various eye problems that are aggravated by excessive exposure to UV radiation:

Macular Degeneration: It is caused by damage to the retina over time by UV rays. It leads to age-related blindness. Too much exposure to UV rays increases the risk of developing macular degeneration.
Cataract: It is the clouding of eye s natural lens - the part of the eye that focuses the light we see. Too much exposure to UV rays increases the risk of developing cataracts. 
Pterygium: Often known as  surfer s eye , pterygium is a pink, non-cancerous growth that is formed on the conjunctiva. UV rays are believed to be responsible for the development of this growth.
Skin Cancer of the Eyelids: Too much exposure to UV rays can cause skin cancer in and around the eyelids.
Photokeratitis: Popularly known as corneal sunburn or  snow blindness , photokeratitis is caused due to excessive short-term exposure to UV-B rays. Photokeratitis occurs when you spend long hours at the beach or skiing. It sometimes leads to temporary vision loss. 
How to protect the eyes from harmful UV rays?

Here are some tips to help ensure that eyes are protected against harmful UV rays:

Always use quality sunglasses that block out 99-100 percent of both UV-A and UV-B radiation when outdoors.
Stay away from tanning beds, and if you use them occasionally, always wear eye protection. 
Wrap around frames should be used if you spend a lot of time outdoors.
Be sure to see your doctor at least every two years.

UV Rays - Are They Damaging Your Eyes?

Sunglasses are an important part of the accessories you use in summer or any time of the year. They help you to look fashionable and stylish and also make a pretty good style statement. But is that the only job of sunglasses? Or do they have something more to them? Here are a few reasons why sunglasses are more than just a style statement:


1. Decrease in eye problems: Generally, you use sunscreen to protect your skin from the Sun s glare. Similarly, sunglasses protect your eyes from the harmful UV rays of the sun. It is extremely important for you to protect the eyes so that the harmful UV rays cannot enter the sensitive eye tissue and harm them. If you do not use sunglasses, then you have a higher chance of damaging your eye tissue than a person who uses them regularly. Bear in mind that the strong UV rays can cause serious permanent damage to your eyes.


2. Protection from other environmental components: Not only is the sun harmful to your eyes, but also the wind can be extremely dangerous for them. Dirt, sand, dust particles can fly into your eyes even when just a breeze is blowing. On a windy day, damage can be much more. If you are wearing sunglasses when out on a windy day, they act like a shield to your eyes against the wind and the particles,which might enter your eye.


3.  Helps clear vision: It s often difficult to have a clear vision when out in the Sun. The bright sunlight doesn t give you the clarity in vision. Without protection, you will have reduced vision as the bright glare of the Sun might cause you discomfort in your eyes and limit your vision as you will have to squint in the bright light.


4. Helps prevent aging: Although it might sound a bit surprising, but wearing sunglasses actually helps in prevent aging. The bright glare of the sun causes you to squint and this causes the age lines to appear. So, if you wear sunglasses and your eyes are protected from the bright sunlight, then you will not be squinting anymore, and hence it will not cause the age lines to appear before time.


So now, before you think that sunglasses only make you look good, think again about how they actually do much more than that.

4 Reasons Why Sunglasses are More than Just a Style Statement

Cataract is generally associated with old age. However, in some unfortunate cases, children could be affected by cataract as well. A cataract can be defined as a cloudy or opaque layer that forms on the eye's natural lens that lies behind the iris and the pupil, leading to eventual loss in vision. Cataract can affect children in one eye or both eyes.

Cataract can be a congenital birth defect or can develop as the child grows older. The latter case is known as pediatric cataracts. The exact cause of cataracts in children is not known, but it has been associated with a number of genetic disorders, low birth weight and infections during pregnancy. Traumatic events such as an injury to the eye can also cause cataracts.

The earlier a cataract is diagnosed and treated, the better it is. It is easier to identify a cataract that affects both eyes than a cataract that affects only one eye. If a congenital cataract is not treated in time, the part of the baby's brain used for sight may not develop properly. Hence it is crucial to recognize cataract symptoms.

Here are a few you should look out for:

    Not looking directly or responding to large, colourful objects.
    Not being able to find small objects while crawling.
    Excessive squinting or shielding their eyes to bright sunlight.
    Eyes that do not focus on the same point.
    White reflex instead of a red reflex in photographs.
    Uncontrolled movement of the eye.

Cataracts that are too small to affect sight can be treated with eye drops to dilate the pupil. However, this provides only temporary relief. Surgery is the most preferred form of cataract treatment. This surgery can be performed even in the first few weeks of a baby's life. The child is put under anesthesia and a microsurgical instrument is used to break the lens into small pieces and remove it.

This surgery is followed by the use of lenses or glasses to help the eye regain its power to focus again. In some cases, the lens may be implanted to replace the natural lens. In cases where cataract affects only one eye or one eye is more severely affected than the other, there may be a tendency to develop amblyopia or lazy eye syndrome. In such cases, it becomes necessary to patch the good eye shut and stimulate vision in the eye that has undergone surgery.

Cataract in Children

Lazy eye is an eye condition that is as underrated as some of the most intriguing characters in Marvel s movies like Namor or Daredevil. Indeed, lazy eye or amblyopia is responsible for the majority of loss of vision cases below the age of 40. It even surpasses the loss of vision due to injuries and diseases.  

What Is Lazy Eye?

Amblyopia, commonly known as lazy eye, is an anomaly of the eyes where patients get reduced vision, which cannot be corrected by glasses or even contact lenses. It is not even an eye disease. In fact, it is an anomaly where the brain cannot acknowledge and interpret the image formed on the retina. The saving grace is that it mostly affects only one eye. Despite that, it may contribute to reduced vision in both eyes. Cases of lazy eye are prevalent among children; around 3% of children suffer from this disease.

Conventional Treatment

Neither glasses nor contact lenses nor surgery can rectify the eyes.

Early detection offers a better chance for a cure.

Lazy eye can be treated quite successfully under the age of 2. This can be done by even glasses, eye patches, etc. However, it is difficult to treat with such simple measures in older children. Hence, it calls for a neuroscientific approach.

Indeed, neuroscientific studies have revealed that the brain and its various perceptions can undergo a change at any age and it is known as neuroplasticity. This is where Ayurveda can play a major role.

The Role of Ayurveda In Treating Lazy Eyes

The concept of Neuroplasticity dictates that the brain has the capability to change if you make the effort and motivate the brain to learn. It is a perfect preoccupation for a lazy eye condition. You need to motivate the brain to learn that it needs to interpret the image formed in the retina of one or both of his eyes. This can be done with Ayurveda.

Ayurveda is all about the mind-body connection, and it is this connection that gets slack in anomalies like a lazy eye. The ayurvedic interpretation of the neurological system involves a root, also called Mula, a pathway through the body also called Marqa and an opening, also known as Mukha. Each of these is known as channels also known as strotas which help to orient our focus to various stimuli including visual stimuli. Ayurvedic remedies help to restore this balance in these channels with the help of Herbs and Asanas. Ayurveda also takes into account the mental constitution of individuals since different mental constitutions call for a different treatment approach.

Take Away

Despite being no immediate solution for the lazy eye, this condition can be potently cured with ayurvedic treatment. However, it is always advisable to consult an ayurvedic specialist before going for any of ayurvedic treatment.

 

Lazy Eye - How Effective Is Ayurveda In It?

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