Take Good Care of Your Eyes With these 6 Simple Tips

The eyes are not just windows to your soul but to your health, too. Sometimes, however, eye care comes second to skin care. If you want to enjoy the benefits of clear eyesight and alert-looking eyes, you must be careful not to overlook basic eye care.

Start with some of these simple tips.

1. Stop smoking

If lung cancer doesn’t scare you, going blind should be a compelling enough reason to make you quit smoking. Current and former smokers have been found to have higher risk of developing cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The former is the leading cause of blindness in the world, a condition where your eye’s natural lens are clouded, while the latter is a progressive vision loss that attacks the macula of the eyes which makes sharp, central vision possible.

2. Put on your shades

Like sunscreen, sunglasses protect your eyes from sun damage. If nothing else, wear your sunglasses every time you are outdoors; your shades protect you from UVA and UVB rays, which contribute to incidence of AMD and cataracts. Choose ones that block at least 99% of UV rays, and the type that goes around your temples. This way, you won’t need crows feet treatment before your time.

If crow’s feet have already made an appearance, a shot of Botulinum Toxin (or more commonly known as Botox) done in a medical aesthetic clinic can help minimize the lines. Botox is FDA-approved as eye wrinkles treatment in Singapore, used also to minimize deep vertical lines between the eyebrows.

3. Nourish your eyes

Omega-3 fatty acids are not just good for your heart, they are good for your eyes, too. This is because of essential fatty acids, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are found in the retina in the highest concentration. These fatty acids help drain intraocular fluid from the eyes to prevent eye pressure build up associated with glaucoma (an eye condition that causes damage to the optic nerve and which, if left untreated, can cause total permanent blindness). Salmon, tuna, and other oily fish are excellent sources.

Vitamins C and E also help stave off AMD, while the mineral zinc enables vitamin A to synthesize melanin for eye protection. Zinc also helps you see better at night and reduces the incidence of AMD. Of utmost importance for healthier eyes are green leafy vegetables like kale, spinach, and collards. They contain potent antioxidants that protect the eyes from harmful high-energy light waves and UV radiation.

For younger and more vibrant appearance of the skin around the eyes, use a specially formulated serum for the eye area. ELASTIfirm Eye Serum from Dr. Sylvia Skin Care is rich in saponosides and flavonoids that strengthen capillaries and reactivate microcirculation for firmer and more elastic appearance of the skin around the eye area. In clinical studies, a 17% reduction in wrinkle depth was achieved after 15 days.

4. Wear safety glasses

If your occupation puts you at greater risk of physical eye injury, wear protective glasses. Even if you are just doing woodwork at home, safety eyewear is crucial to prevent bits of harmful particles from lodging into your eyes.

5. Practice 20/20/20

Most jobs today require a significant amount of time in front of a computer screen. It’s a good idea to break up your work every now and then with this simple 20-20-20 rule: Take your eyes off the screen every 20 minutes and look 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Otherwise, you’ll be prone to developing eyestrain, blurry vision, dry eyes, headaches, soreness in the neck, back, and shoulders, and that unmistakable ‘panda’ look after a night of working overtime.

To lighten the appearance of those dark under-eyes, use Dr. Sylvia’s Dark Circles No More, a dynamic serum that addresses the accumulation of melanin and heme (a component of hemoglobin). Not only does this serum fade away dark circles, it also reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

For tear troughs, a filler doctor in Orchard, Singapore, would likely recommend dermal fillers such as Juvederm Volbella under eyes. Tear troughs develop as the under eye area loses fat over time and hollows out.

6. Have your eyes checked regularly

A dilated eye exam uses drops to widen your pupils so the eye doctor can look inside your eyes with the ‘door’ (pupil) open wide. With your eyes letting in more light, the doctor can see your optic nerves, your retina and your macula, and from there, can assess whether you are developing eye conditions that can be reversed in its early stages.