I have struggled with poor eyesight for most of my life. Like I mean above -6 kind of struggle. For those of you who don’t have glasses, my prescription is basically how you assume most people with glasses see. In other words, without my glasses, no, I cannot see what that sign says and, no, if you stand a few meters away I can’t see how many fingers you’re holding up.
Like much of Gen Z, thanks to our “lovely” addiction to devices, I have myopia. This is when you are extremely near-sighted (can’t see far away). Except, my myopia is pretty severe. I know that compared to other eye conditions out there, myopia isn’t as acute, but it’s quickening popularity among our generation makes it a pressing issue. Sometimes I think of the severity of my myopia as allowing me to see into the future. Although it’s mostly due to genetics, I feel like the Ghost of Christmas Future for many teenagers resulting from their habits related to screen time, diets, etc. That’s why I wanted to give a few tips and tricks to help maintain proper eye health and ways to incorporate them more easily into your day to day lifestyle.
20-20-20 Rule!
Hopefully most of you all know this rule by now, but for those of you who don’t, here it is: after using a screen for 20 min, take a break and look at something 20 meters away for 20 seconds 1 . Make sure you do this as often as possible to reduce strain on your eyes! This rule is constantly being encouraged to me by my optometrist for my myopia!
Omega-3!
Many studies have shown that Omega-3 can support eye health by strengthening the retina using DHA (AKA fatty acid) 2. The retina is where the image of our surroundings is formed, thus, it’s incredibly important. Myopia unfortunately increases someone’s risk for retinal detachment (when the retina detaches from blood vessels that provide it with essential nutrients and oxygen), making maintaining proper retina health even more important 3!
Omega-3 can be incorporated into your diet by consuming nuts and seeds, plant oils, and fish or seafood 4. My favorite source of Omega-3 are avocados! Yum! If eating these foods are difficult, you can easily purchase Omega-3 supplements from any drugstore or pharmacy!
Vitamin A!
“Vitamin A plays a crucial role in vision by maintaining a clear cornea, which is the outside covering of your eye,”(5) and it’s super easy to get your hands on. One infamous example: Carrots! Those crunchy, flavorful snacks aren’t the only great sources of Vitamin A, though. “Red, yellow and green (leafy) vegetables,”(6) are great sources! Sounds like it’s time to start making salads! Now you have another reason to be “that person” and live a healthy, aesthetic lifestyle. Again, if it’s really necessary, Vitamin A supplements are always an option.
Exercise!
I think this one is pretty obvious, but we know that oxygen is pumped throughout the body when we exercise. This ensures that oxygen and other nutrients are transported properly to the eyes, maintaining overall eye health 7.
Eye health is something we often neglect so I hope this post was a good reminder for you all! These were just a few tips out of many out there, so feel free to do some more research! If you’ve been on your device for more than 20 minutes, remember the 20-20-20 rule! I have my eye on you (bad pun intended)! Goodbye and stay safe!