How to improve your eyesight
You can’t stop, halt or reverse a developing eye defect, but you can influence how fast it develops. You also have an impact on eye health!
Regular ophthalmic check-up
There is no eye defect that modern ophthalmology cannot handle to the patient’s satisfaction. However, the first and most important prerequisite is to go to an ophthalmologist and get your eyes checked. For adults, the standard recommendation is to have their eyesight checked once every two years.
This recommendation applies to people who do not have vision problems. Those who already wear glasses or contact lenses should see an ophthalmologist at least once a year.
A diet good for the eyes
Our daily diet has an impact on eye health. No, it is not possible to stop, inhibit or reverse the developing defect of vision, but thanks to the presence of vitamins, trace elements and other components in the diet, we act preventively and push away the specter of eye diseases and the rapid degeneration of the various structures of our organ of vision in the process of aging.
You can read about how the different vitamins affect our eyes here here.
Ergonomics of the computer workstation
If we want to keep our eyesight in good condition, we must take care of the ergonomics of our workstation. Otherwise, we put ourselves at risk of CVS (Computer Vision Syndrome) also called Office-Eye-Syndrome.
It manifests itself not only by weakened visual acuity, but also by burning and itching eyes or headaches. A good solution is to buy special glasses for computer work.
Not only do they eliminate light reflections bouncing off the computer screen, but they are also coated with Blue Resistant (or disguised by another name) coating to protect the eye from harmful blue-violet light.
Everything you want to know about computer work and its impact on your eyesight can be found here.
It is equally important not to overdo staring at devices with small screens, such as a smartphone or tablet. Watching videos on a smartphone involves holding the device close to the eyes, funding a very high accommodative effort on the eyes – if this effort is forced on the eyes too often, it can become the cause of myopia development.
Exercises for short-sighted people
Children and adolescents diagnosed with so-called “school myopia” (which appears between the ages of 10 and 12 and can be aggravated by constant accommodative tension and with too much close visual work – when a child reads, studies too much, looks at a TV, smartphone or computer screen) may be advised by a doctor to practice various exercises and make lifestyle changes. Involves:
- Frequent outdoor activities and physical activity in daylight – research results indicate that 2-3 hours of outdoor activities per day contribute to slowing the progression of myopia.
- Adhere to the principles of visual hygiene: reading in a sitting position, keeping the text at an appropriate distance, good lighting of the work area, using breaks during prolonged close work.
- Repeating accommodative relaxation exercises several times a day, such as looking loosely at a distant selected object for several minutes.
Correct selection of glasses or contact lenses
Until recently, it was said that with low myopia (such as school myopia) it was better not to wear glasses so that “the eye does not get lazy and work.” Today we are assured that uncorrected myopia is progressing, not stopping or retreating.
The modern approach to the treatment of myopia recommends full correction of the visual defect as soon as it is diagnosed, which, of course, does not preclude the implementation of the aforementioned myopic exercises.
Farsightedness is a slightly more complicated defect. The statement that “a farsighted person is one who sees objects far away well and sees objects close up poorly” is only part of the truth. Most often, he or she has trouble seeing objects clearly from any distance.
Thus, the accurate selection of glasses can be difficult, but good results are obtained with contact lenses, which, in the case of farsighted people, do not cause the narrowing of the field of vision that glasses do.
Laser vision correction
Laser vision correction is a correction using the methods and techniques of laser refractive surgery. This is currently the safest and most empowering way of interfering with the eyeball. It involves modeling the anterior surface of the cornea with a laser.
The result is improved visual acuity in patients with nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.
Everything you want to know about laser vision correction can be found here.
