No one really takes their eyes for granted. Every person who can see definitely appreciates this and wouldn’t intentionally do anything to harm their vision. However, we often do take the overall health of our eyes for granted. So while we might put on safety glasses to do work, we don’t always take measures necessary to keep our eyes nice and lubricated. This can lead to a lot of issues with your eyes drying out on you, which can also cause redness, itching, pain and even vision impairment.
For many of us, we’ll suddenly be smacked with those dry eye symptoms, seemingly out of nowhere. Constantly blinking, rubbing our eyes, finding it tough to focus, etc; these are all symptoms of eyes that are too dry. Though these symptoms also aren’t coming out of nowhere. Your eyes won’t suddenly dry out. There are things you are doing that are causing this. Here are a few ways to prevent your eyes from drying. If you end up needing a treatment for dry eyes, check out CSI Dry Eye.
Ways to Prevent Your Eyes from Drying Out
Sleep Regularly
Sleep is one of the best things you can ever do for your eyes. You may have heard the old-timers say “I’m resting my eyes” quite a few times. This is very true for most people; their eyes feel “tired,” so to speak. And that’s because they’re drying out. Their vision starts to blur, their eyelids feel heavy, and their eyes need resting. Regular sleep can help you keep your eyes nice and fresh. Try to get yourself on a normal sleep schedule and rest enough each night. This will keep your eyes nice and healthy and functioning properly.
Stay Hydrated
Tears are nothing but water. It’s water that’s processed through your body, so it picks up a lot of sodium and other minerals before it excretes, but it’s all water nonetheless. If you’re not properly hydrated, then you’re not making enough tears. It really is as simple as that. And if you don’t have any tears to lubricate your eyes, you’re going to suffer dry eyes. Your tear ducts constantly excrete tears to keep your eyes moist, not just when you cry. So it’s vital that you’re always hydrated enough to produce those tears.
Eat a Balanced Diet
The reason why what you eat matters to the state of your eyes and their general moisture level is that vitamins really control a lot of what’s going on with your eyes. Vitamins A and D, to be specific, have a huge correlation with eye health. VA helps a lot with your vision, while VD helps to stave off inflammation and allows your tear ducts to function a lot better. So try to avoid eating a lot of junk and eat a healthy, balanced diet instead.
Stay Off Those Screens
Computers, laptops, televisions, and smartphones are all different screens that we see every day. Some of us see them a lot more than others, of course, and we spend hours browsing around on these bright screens. This puts a whole lot of strain on your eyes. The more your eyes are strained, the more moisture your tear ducts expend. But there’s not an unlimited supply in there, as discussed above, so once they run dry, so do your eyes. Get off of those screens when you can. Try a book instead.
Protect Your Vision
If it’s sunny outside, wear some sunglasses. If the sun’s beating in through your windshield, use a visor to help block it. You should be doing things to protect your vision from the sun. The harsh UV rays can get into your eyes and really dry them out badly. Don’t think that only your skin can burn. Those UV rays sapping up the moisture in your eyes can cause some serious dryness, redness and even pain and itching. The same goes with the wind, especially when it’s cold out. Always protect your eyes from the elements.
If you’re vigilant about protecting your eyes, then you should be able to avoid having them dry out on you. Your eyes naturally want to be very moist, and you can easily urge this along. Though if they do dry out, just know that there are some great treatment options out there to try that are safe and natural.