4 EASY ways to keep your eyes healthy

Get sleep.  7-9 hours/night is recommend for optimal health and at least 5 hours/night is recommended to replenish those eyes and keep them healthy. Adequate sleep rests the body and also the eye muscles in turn. Lack of sleep can cause eye twitching (myokymia), red and swollen eyes and/or even dry eyes. In fact, recent studies suggest that sleep quality may play an important role in Dry Eye Disease directly by effecting the quality of tears we produce.

Eat well.  Good eating habits replenished our body of much needed nutrients instead of depleting it, making sure our body (and eyes) are functioning at optimal capacities. Check out some of my previous blog posts for some key eye-healthy foods to add to your diet today. Vitamins C and E plus zinc, lutein and zeaxanthin are eye-friendly nutrients that can be easily found in foods and supplements; these nutrients can help reduce the risk of certain vision-threatening eye diseases.

Be active.  Cut down on screen time (hard to do currently) but Springtime (at least in California) brings mild temps and beautiful sunny days.  Go for a bike ride, walk or run.  Can’t get outside? Opt for a quick home workout; you don’t need fancy gym equipment for burpees, mountain climbers, sit-ups and push ups-just a little bit of space around you. Staying active reduces the likelihood of developing disease like diabetes and hypertension which can have negative effects on the health of your eyes. 

Drink water. A good rule to follow is the 8x8 rule; drink eight 8 ounces of water each day. Want more specific guidelines: men should drink 15 cups and women, 11.5 cups a day.  Drinking an adequate water intake for the day can be an easy, first step in reducing symptoms of dry eye.  Need a daily reminder to keep your water intake on track? Well, there is an app for that; actually quite a few. I’ve linked one here and here.

The good news is that these tips to keep your eyes healthy also are good for your body and mind. And what better time to start some new and healthy habits than now?!

Stay happy and healthy!

Dr. Jen Wademan