Eyesight is one of the most important functions, so it’s only natural that we need to take good care of our eyes. A lot of people seem to take their eyes for granted, when they too require maintenance on our part. Maintaining sharp vision is extremely important, which is why everyone should focus on keeping their eyes as healthy as possible.

Keep your hands clean

Everyone instinctively rubs their eyes practically on a daily basis. However, that’s not an exactly healthy thing to do, first and foremost because hands tend to have dirt and plenty of bacteria that could potentially hurt the eyes. Washing hands is an important part of personal hygiene, and if maintained well, it translates to better eye health in life.

Protect them from UV rays

Wearing sunglasses can often be more than a fashion statement. Our eyes can be easily damaged by ultraviolet rays, which can cause age-related macular degeneration, photokeratitis, or your cornea could potentially get a sunburn. Sunglasses aren’t the only way to do this, of course, as you can also wear UV-protected eyeglasses or contacts. Caps or visors can be helpful too.

Don’t be afraid of surgery

Sometimes you might need surgery to help maintain your eyesight. Most people are afraid of surgery for different reasons, and yet they’re extremely beneficial. Corrective surgery, like LASIK has proven to be completely and perfectly safe, as well as any other type of eye surgery. Children should also be encouraged to not be afraid, like with cases of strabismus when they need squint surgery. Everyone should focus on the positive aspect of surgery, rather than fear it.

Keep room lighting adequate

No matter how long you spend in a room, it should always be properly lit. One of the most basic rules is that you should never have to squint to spot anything in your room, especially if it’s during your active hours. That could potentially lead to the whole host of eyesight issues that you can easily avoid by keeping the room adequately lit.

Monitors should be at arm’s length

Almost everyone uses computers on a daily basis nowadays, which means working with monitors. They absolutely should be at arm’s length, as that’s the distance the eye is relaxed the most when looking at the screen. If you feel your eyes straining when looking at the monitor, maybe it’s time to adjust the distance.

Always follow the 20-20-20 Rule

This is a very easy rule that not a lot of people follow. After 20 minutes of looking at a monitor, look away and focus on something that’s 20 feet away. If you feel your eyes getting dry, then blink 20 times in quick succession. If you’ve been sitting at your desk for 20 minutes, get up and do 20 paces. This is not only healthy for eyes, but it also helps with posture and blood circulation.

Keeping your eyes in a healthy condition can be difficult. That’s why you should always use a healthcare provider that you trust, like Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Private Healthcare, so that you’ll always be able to fix any potential issues ASAP.