The retina is a crucial part of your eye, it has a major role in your sight. The light enters the eye and refracts to the retina, helping create images of your surrounding. The aging process and injuries can make your retina either weak or severely damaged. To maintain vision and protect your eyes, it is necessary to maintain and improve your retina’s health. Here are some ways to improve your retina health.
Eat a Healthy And Balanced Diet
Healthy foods contain carotenoids, and other pigments that build your retina, improve vision, and prevents eye disease like cataract and night blindness. Eat foods that are rich in beta carotenes, vitamin A, and E, and proteins. Foods that promote healthy eyes include carrots, leafy vegetables, cucumbers, nuts, legumes, seeds, eggs, fish, etc. It is important to include healthy fats and oils in your diet like olive oil and pure coconut oil. A poor diet with insufficient nutrition will eventually degrade your retina.
Drinking Plenty of Water
Staying hydrated is also very important for maintaining good retina health. When your body is well hydrated, your tear glands produce sufficient tears, providing proper moisture to your eyes. If you are constantly dehydrated, it will lead to the dryness of your eyes. Drinking enough water also helps maintain the flow of blood to your eyes and around your retina.
Regular Exercise
How is exercise related to retina health? A healthy body has healthy organs. Your overall health also determines the health of your eyes. A sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise can easily result in obesity, diabetes, and other health problems. Regular exercise promotes blood circulation all over the body, including eyes. Exercising also lowers the risk of diabetic retinopathy. It is a condition when high glucose level has damaging effects on your body, especially the retina.
Wearing Sunglasses Out in The Sun
UV rays from the sun are harmful and can damage your retina. Always wear sunglasses when you are out in the sun to protect your eyes. Invest in a pair of high-quality sunglasses that can effectively block UV rays from entering your eyes. Make sure you always carry your sunglasses with you when you go out.
Quit Smoking
You can’t deny the harmful effects of smoking on your health. Regular smoking can also impair the blood flow to your eyes and retina, leading to the onset of severe eye disease, especially macular degeneration. It’s hard to quit smoking, but when you do, your health will improve.
Wearing Eye Protection
Eye injuries can range from minor scratches to a severe cut or hit that can even result in the loss of sight. Eye injuries further cause severe infections that can damage your retina and other parts of the eye very badly. Make sure to wear proper eye protection when swimming, playing sports, or doing heavy-duty work.
Takeaway
Eat healthy foods and wear proper eye protection to maintain your retina health. Do not work or read under poor light. Use screen filters if you spend the day working on a computer or laptop. Last but not least, visit your eye care professional for an eye examination at least twice a year.
