The Healthy blog of The Good Humored Patient

Archive for the ‘Eye Care’ Category

Omega 3 fatty acids are important for maintaining moisture levels of the corneas. The richest sources of these nutrients are green leafy vegetables and vegetables with the colors red, orange and yellow and freshwater fish. When dietary supply of these nutrients is not sufficient, individuals need to turn to eye health supplements to fulfill their body’s need for them.

Vitamin A supplements generally come in the form of beta-carotene pills. The chemical is the natural precursor of retinal or vitamin A and is converted in to it within the body. However, the body does not respond as well to the synthetic beta-carotene in the pills as it does to natural sources such as carrots. When consuming eye health supplements, there is a possibility of supplying more nutrients to the body than it actually needs. The effects of this can be nausea, constipation, anxiety and sleep disorders. Thus, it is always recommended that individuals contact their primary healthcare providers to establish a supplement regime suited to their specific needs.

Eyes they say is man’s window to the world. Arguably the power of sight is the most important gift of god.

Sadly however the rocketing speed at which our life is moving we hardly have time to care for these two wonderful gifts, and when realization dawn in its just too late.

Prevention they say is better than cure, and the best way to care for our eyes is to eat healthy food and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Food items should contain a lot of vitamin A, E & C. It’s always advisable to take breaks while working in front of a computer for long hours at a stretch.

Make up worn by women often enhances their beauty, but decreases their health, so lesser use of makeup gives our eyes a chance to breath.

Other preventive measures includes drinking lots of water, palming the eyes, splashing water, going for walks, and consulting an ophthalmic on a regular basis.

Sometimes long exposure to sunlight can cause dark circles to form under the eyes. Ways in which you can reduce these dark circles are:

• Get enough sleep. Your body needs anywhere between 6 to 8 hours of good sleep.
• Make sure you are not under stress. If you are, then use de-stressing techniques like meditation, yoga, and exercising, preferably, outdoors.
• Ensure that your diet is a balanced one with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Drink not less than 8 glasses of water every day.
• If you have to go outdoors, wear dark glasses.
• One very simple, but effective, thing you can do is to lie down in a darkened room with your eyes closed and put 2 thin slices of cucumber over your closed eyes. This brings immediate relief.
• If your work includes sitting for long hours at a computer, take short breaks and sit with your eyes closed. This reduces the strain on the eyes.

A very significant statement had been made by a historic poet that the eye is the most significant sense organ in man. This is so true given the fact that we perceive the world through our eyes. It is indeed very important to take care of them. The eye is a complex organ made up of an outer covering called the cornea. The crystalline lens comes next with the iris: the small hole which allows the passage of light. The retina is the screen that forms the image of the object that we are seeing and sends impulses via the optic nerve to the brain which in turn tell us what we see.

There is thus the need for proper eye care. Regularly washing them, not straining them in the dark, not sitting in front of a highly luminescent source and getting enough sleep, are a few steps that can be taken for the eyes.