Ophthalmologist shares 10 everyday habits to protect your vision: Eat leafy greens, follow 20-20-20 rule and more

Frequent screen exposure may affect your vision in the long run. Find out which habits can you include in your routine to safeguard your eyesight.

Vision-related problems are rising globally, affecting millions of all ages. The World Health Organization stated that 2.2 billion people around the world suffer from vision impairment. It shows the burden of vision-related problems on public health.

Moreover, eye strain has become a major health concern, especially with the pervasive use of digital devices, such as smartphones, computers, and tablets. In fact, a large portion of the waking hours is now spent staring at screens, working on laptops in the office, glancing at smaller screens, phone, during the commute, and finally ending the day in front of a larger screen, like watching TV at dinner.This constant exposure to screens can pave the way to several vision-related problems.

To understand what can help reduce eye stress, HT Lifestyle reached out to Dr Vishal Arora, consultant- ophthalmology at Artemis Hospitals. According to him, healthy habits lower the risks of eye-related problems.

Healthy habits help alleviate eye damage

“To live a healthy and independent life, you need to have good vision. Your daily habits can also have a big impact on your eye health even though age and genetics do too,” he shared. “You can protect your eyesight and lower your risk of common vision problems by doing simple things every day.”

In other words, lifestyle is in your control; you can add habits that benefit your eyes and eliminate those that harm them, depending on the value. Simple choices help to safeguard your eyesight, while also reducing the risk of long-term complications.

10 habits for healthy vision

Follow these habits to avoid strain on your vision. (Picture credit: Made with Chat GPT)

Eyesight is valuable as it helps to keep you mobile, independent, allowing you to navigate the world. You require a holistic approach to be able to safeguard your vision.

Ophthalmologist Dr Vishal Arora shared these 10 habits that help contribute to the wellbeing of your vision:

• Eat a balanced diet: To keep your eyes healthy, eat leafy greens, carrots, fish high in omega-3 and fruits.
• Stay hydrated: Drinking enough water keeps your eyes comfortable and stops them from getting dry.
• Follow the 20-20-20 rule: To reduce strain, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds after every 20 minutes of screen time.
• Wear sunglasses: Put on your sunglasses when you go outside to protect your eyes from UV rays.
• Don't rub your eyes: Rubbing your eyes can let dirt and germs from your hands get into your eyes, which can lead to infection, irritation, and even permanent damage.
• Have your eyes checked regularly: If you catch problems with your eyes early, like cataracts or glaucoma, you can stop your vision from getting worse over time.
• Practice good screen hygiene: To reduce digital eye strain, change the brightness, keep the right distance and use anti-glare filters.
• Quit smoking: Smoking raises the chances of getting cataracts, macular degeneration and damage to the optic nerve.
• Get enough sleep: Resting your eyes properly helps them heal from the stress of the day, keeps them moist and stops them from getting dry or tired.
• Exercise regularly: Exercise improves blood flow, which is good for the eyes and lowers the risk of diabetes-related eye problems.

The eye-healthy habits include a combination of the right nutrition, habits, eye protection and smart screen practices. When you add them to your daily routine, you lower the chances of eye stress while also preventing long-term vision problems.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.