Possessing a good vision: an indispensable part of health
In our modern age, nearsightedness, or myopia, is rapidly rising in rate, particularly for kids and teenagers. In fact, it is estimated that about 30% of Canadians have myopia with this percentage expected to only grow higher in the years ahead. According to the Cleveland Clinic, “one in four parents has a child with some degree of nearsightedness”.
The truth is, we use our vision every day in our lives. A good vision is an indispensable aspect of health for all of us, kids and adults alike. Myopia can make life much more challenging, as individuals require glasses, contacts, or other methods, like LASIK surgery to correct for their nearsightedness, all of which impedes their ability to rely on their natural eyesight to take on their day-to-day tasks and activities.
How to protect your vision
According to this healthline article, there are numerous ways in which we can protect our vision, and to prevent it from worsening. One of the most fundamental ways of protecting not just vision, but also eye health in general, is to receive regular eye checks with their optometrist. By checking up with a professional, individuals could not only get their vision measured, but also be notified if they have an eye disease that requires additional treatment.
Getting the right nutrients in the diet is also incredibly important; specifically, “Vitamins A, C, and E, as well as the mineral zinc, contain antioxidants”, which enables them to help prevent diseases, such as macular degeneration. Macular degeneration is a condition which involves the deterioration of important parts of the eye responsible for vision. Now, to gain these nutrients, be sure to frequently have vegetables, like broccoli, spinach, strawberries, citrus, and carrots. A great diet, combined with regular exercising in the day-to-day life, can greatly reduce the risk of many different types of eye diseases.
Physically protecting the eye
Make sure to wear protective eyewear, especially when playing certain sports, working on projects in a workshop, or even doing science experiments at school or elsewhere! Protecting the eyes from dust particles in the air, certain chemical materials, and fast-moving objects in sports is surely important.
For protection against the UV radiation in sunlight, it is also essential to wear sunglasses, particularly ones “that block out 99% or 100% of UVA and UVB radiation from sunlight.” Doing so can greatly improve one’s eyesight.
The 20-20-20 rule
In our modern digital age, kids and adults extensively use technology to do work, studying, or for fun. However, by partaking in activities requiring the eye to focus on a close-up screen or object, you are also straining your eyes. Long-term eye strains, particularly without taking breaks from doing tasks like playing video games or reading, can very possibly lead to myopia in the long run. The 20-20-20 rule is a great technique to use: it means, for every 20 minutes of staring at the computer, look at something 20 feet away, for 20 seconds. 20 seconds isn’t too long, but taking on and maintaining this habit to protect vision will be greatly rewarding on the long run!
Conclusion
From following the 20-20-20 rule; ensuring a good diet with the appropriate nutrition; to checking up regularly with an optometrist, there are many ways to protect eye health and the vision. In general, an individual’s vision accompanies them for their entire life. Eye health, and a good vision, are therefore absolutely essential in ensuring a high quality of life, where one can see their world clearly with comfort. Thus, let’s all take the initiative in protecting our eyes!