Eye doctors share proven tips for those who want to ditch their glasses

Do you know which muscles in our body are estimated to be the most active? According to Guinness World Records our eyes move more than 100,000 times per day. That’s a lot, don’t you think? But all this activity doesn’t help our eyes to stay healthy and it seems that bad vision could be attributed to careless behavior.

Here we’ve researched the habits that lead to poor vision and even more severe diseases. We are eager to share our findings with you and there is one habit that is actually a myth, that a lot of people still believe. Read through to the end — there’s a bonus for you there!

HERE ARE 7 HABITS EYE DOCTORS NEED YOU TO QUIT FOR THE SAKE OF GOOD VISION:

1. SAYING “NO” TO GREEN FOOD AND FOOD RICH IN VITAMIN A, VITAMIN C, LUTEIN, AND BETA CAROTENE

We are what we eat: you may have heard this many times, but is there anyone who doubts it? This is related to our eyesight as well. The following minerals and vitamins are important for excellent vision and help protect our eyes from sight-robbing ailments:

• Beta-carotene. Food sources: carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, butternut squash.
• Lutein and Zeaxanthin. Food sources: spinach, kale, turnip greens, collard greens, squash.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Food sources: salmon, mackerel, herring, fish oil supplements, freshly ground flaxseeds, walnuts.
• Vitamin A. Food sources: beef or chicken liver, eggs, butter, milk.
• Vitamin C. Food sources: sweet peppers (red or green), kale, strawberries, broccoli, oranges, cantaloupe.

2. STAYING ENGAGED IN ONE ACTIVITY FOR TOO LONG

Many computer workers do not take the recommended break or rest for 15 minutes once or twice a day. But according to a NIOSH study, eye soreness, visual blurring, and upper-body discomfort were significantly reduced when workers took 4 additional 5-minute breaks.

3. FORGETTING TO EXERCISE THE EYES

There are different opinions about this recommendation. There is even a theory suggesting that ophthalmologists know the truth about the advantages of eye exercises but will never say a word to their patients, because if people start to exercise their eyes they will never use eyeglasses, contact lenses, or need eye surgery. However, except for diseases and injuries for which there are no cure, daily eye exercises can help us maintain healthy and optimal vision if we suffer from eyestrain.

In the picture above there is a system of eye exercises put together by Dr. Zhdanov. Repeat each exercise 3 times and blink several times before moving to the next.

4. THINKING THAT LACK OF SLEEP DOES NOT DAMAGE YOUR VISION

Sleeping is one of the most important activities for our body. And if you think that you are the only one who suffers from lack of sleep, you are mistaken. Do you know that lack of sleep can lead to vision problems? It’s recommended to get at least 5 hours of sleep to let your eyes recover from the day.

Lack of sleep can result in dry or red eyes, itchiness, blurriness, light sensitivity, and even eyelid spasms, or myokymia.

5. SMOKING

Did you know that smoking is bad for your eyes? Here are some facts:

• Smokers are up to 4 times more likely to go blind in old age.
• Cataracts are the leading cause of vision loss. Studies show that people who smoke double their risk of developing cataracts.
• Women who smoke during pregnancy increase the risk of their baby developing crossed eyes and a potentially blinding diseases, among other health problems.

6. STARING AT THE SUN

Here is an interesting fact: even though 75% of Americans are worried about UV eye exposure, only 31% of them wear sunglasses when going outside. To excuse themselves they use the following reasons: “I’m not going outside for long” or “I don’t have prescription glasses” and so on.

The consequences of this behavior can be severe: photokeratitis, pterygium, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and even cancer of the eye, eyelid, and surrounding skin.

7. THINKING THAT READING, WORKING, OR WATCHING TV IN COMPLETE DARKNESS HURTS YOUR EYES

Here’s a surprise! Doctors assure us that reading or watching TV in poor light will not harm our vision. They compare our eyes with a camera, “It’s like saying if you take a picture in poor light, then that will damage your camera.” Have you ever heard about this?

BONUS: NOT ALL EYE CHANGES ARE THE RESULT OF OUR IRRESPONSIBILITY.

For example, eye sclera gradually changes its color with age. This process develops very slowly during our life. Researchers evaluated the sclera color of 286 women between the ages of 20 and 70 and found that older faces have darker sclera that is more red or yellow in comparison with younger faces.

Do you wear glasses or contact lenses? Or maybe you’ve had eye surgery? Do you believe that these simple rules will help people to maintain good vision? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section!