Eye Health | 7 min read
10 Simple Tips on How to Improve Eyesight Naturally
Medically reviewed by
- Table of Content
Synopsis
The eyes are the reflection of the soul. It is a fascinating organ that captures thousands of pieces of information from the world and transmits it to the brain through more than one-million pulse signals. Although most people experience a change in their eye health at a very young age, there are ways through which you can improve failing eyesight.
Key Takeaways
- Vitamin and mineral-rich food is an answer to the question of how to improve eyesight
- Vision problems may result due to various reasons. Although lifestyle is a prime contributor
- Regular check-ups and a healthy lifestyle may help to keep your eyes safe from damage
Include Vitamins And Minerals in Your Diet
Before asking how to improve eyesight, it would be better to go through your diet chart. Poor diet is the main factor for half of your health problems. Include Vitamin A, C, E, copper, and zinc in your diet to increase your eyesight. Vitamins are the main component for the development of the protein rhodopsin that allows you to see at night. Carrot is a good source of vitamins, and including carrot in your daily diet will promote your eye functions.
Macular degeneration is the biggest challenge for your eyes. By adding antioxidants to your diet, you can reduce this complication. Moreover, let's learn about how to improve eyesight using some nutrient-specific food sources.
Here are some food sources that are rich in vitamins and minerals:
- Carrot
- Broccoli
- Dark leafy greens
- Red peppers
- Sweet potatoes
- Pumpkin
- Citrus
- Spinach
- Egg
- Strawberries
Fatty acids-rich food such as fish and flax seeds are also beneficial for eye health.
Regular Exercise
As your body muscle needs exercise to stay fit, your eyes have the muscle that needs to be kept healthy. Daily morning eye exercise allows you to notice how to improve your eyesight and find the difference in your eye vision.
Start your day by warming your eyes for 5 seconds with warm palms. Roll your eyes in all directions for 5 minutes to increase the elasticity of eye muscle. It would be beneficial if you are spending too much time before screens.
Hold a pen at arm's length to strengthen the focus, and slowly move it until it is six inches away from your nose.
Certain diseases like type 2 diabetes may also affect eye vision. Staying fit and having a regular blood sugar level check may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Stop Smoking
Smoking risks your heart and lung health and contributes to eye blindness. Smoking increases the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataract. Severe smoking also kills beneficial antioxidants. It is better to quit this unhealthy habit as soon as possible. If you are unable to quit smoking, seek help from health professionals. This could be one of the ways to know how to improve your eyesight.
Do Not Miss Your Eye Exam
Most people do not take their eye health seriously. Before asking how to increase eyesight think about whether you are following the required guidelines. In case you are already wearing glasses or lenses, it is important to follow regular eye check-ups.
How regular eye vision helps:
- Retina check: Eye examination gives more idea about health conditions beyond vision problems. The presence of blood vessels in the retina is a symptom of diabetes.
- Alignment check: The crossed or turned eyes may cause additional stress on your eye muscle.
- Prescriptions for corrective lenses: You may have heard that vision changes over time. Hence, the eyeglasses that were once the best diopter might damage later.
Doctors also recommend eye examinations for people falling under the following category:
- Suffering from diabetes or hypertension
- Family history of glaucoma
- You are in the ’60s
- African Americans in the early '40s
Manage Health Condition
Health conditions like high blood pressure and multiple sclerosis are also dangerous for your eye health. This condition is associated with chronic inflammation that may harm your whole body. Optic inflammation can cause severe pain and also lead to vision loss. Therefore, just knowing how to improve your eyesight without managing your health wouldn’t do the needful.
Give Rest to Your Eyes
American Association of Ophthalmology highly recommends the 20-20-20 rule of taking a break. [1] As per this rule, you have to shift your eyes to look at an object that is 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds every 20 minutes. It is highly effective to reduce stress.
If you feel this method is difficult, you can try to close your eyes every hour for 5 minutes. By closing your eyes, you will feel relaxed. It will protect from external fatigue.
Learn Your Family’s Health History
Be aware of certain eye conditions that your parents or grandparents carry:
Some of the hereditary eye conditions include:
- Retinal degeneration
- Glaucoma
- Optic atrophy
Understanding the family history and taking early precautions will reduce the risk factor.
Use Sunglasses
Being exposed to UV radiation increases the risk of eye cancer, macular degeneration and cataracts. If you spend a lot of time outdoors, try to wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses. Sunglasses blocks 99% of UV radiations from sunlight. It protects your eyes from conditions like Pterygiums, Eye Floaters that can cause vision loss.
Enough Sleep
Do you wonder how to improve your eyesight with adequate sleep? Sleep is essential for your health and well-being. Not getting enough sleep may make you look sleepy and tired. You may feel a lack of concentration while reading or looking at the screen. When your body gets enough sleep, your eyes feel rejuvenated. Engaging in an intense activity such as working on computers or reading books becomes easy.
Use Protective Eyewear
In case you are doing different experiments in a laboratory or garage, you must try to protect your eyes with appropriate glasses. Tough protective eye wear is available in the market to reduce the risk of chemicals, sharp objects, or even during a basketball game.
Best Remedy Yoga
It is the best solution for the question of how to improve eye vision. Yoga is a 5000 years tradition that helps to achieve internal and external well-being. Effective in curing many diseases by improving blood circulation and muscle flexibility. Hence, yoga for eyes helps to relieve eye strain and increases the ability to focus. Here are a few asanas to improve eye vision.
Halasana
- Lie down firmly on your back.
- Place your arms on the floor parallel to your body.
- With the help of abdominal muscles, lift your legs to 90 degrees.
- Press your arms slightly and let your legs fall back behind your head.
- Let the lower and middle back lift off the floor so that your toes may touch the floor. Allow your chest to come closer to your chin as much as possible.
- Hold this posture for a while.
Anulom Viloma
Anulom viloma is a nostril breathing exercise that helps to strengthen eye muscles.
- Sit in vajrasana or Poorna Padmasana posture.
- Be comfortable, and keep your shoulder straight and relaxed.
- Place your arms on your knees and face straight.
- Close your eyes and try to concentrate on your breath.
- Use your thumb to close your right nostril, inhale through your left nostril and exhale through your right.
- Repeat the same process with the left nostril.
- You can also listen to calm meditation music if that works.
Many people may not be aware of World Sight Day. However, World Health Organization takes eye health seriously, and this day is celebrated to spread awareness of eye health worldwide. Each year this day is hosted with a different theme to grab the attention of more audiences.
Eyes are the most precious gift, and it is our responsibility to protect the valuable gift. Here we have discussed many ways to improve eyesight. You can only see the difference through regular practice. If you expect to discuss more with healthcare professionals, consult an ophthalmologist through Bajaj Finserv Health. Registering the details and booking the slot allows you to get an online appointment easily. Let your eyes be healthy!
- References
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321536#:~:text=The%20rule%20says%20that%20for,digital%20screens%20for%20too%20long.
- Disclaimer
Please note that this article is solely meant for informational purposes and Bajaj Finserv Health Limited (“BFHL”) does not shoulder any responsibility of the views/advice/information expressed/given by the writer/reviewer/originator. This article should not be considered as a substitute for any medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult with your trusted physician/qualified healthcare professional to evaluate your medical condition. The above article has been reviewed by a qualified doctor and BFHL is not responsible for any damages for any information or services provided by any third party.