Sight is the most valued sense by most people, and yet we take very little care of it. Some visual problems, such as presbyopia or tired eyesight, are a consequence of age, but they can be prevented from advancing. Others, such as sunburn, can be directly prevented.

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With the tips and simple exercises that we have selected in this article, you will give your eyes the care they need and years of good health.

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Five tips to keep your eyes healthy

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The eyes are an organ as complex as it is sensitive. Protecting them from any external aggression and training them as if they were a muscle so that they are in good shape are the keys that will ensure good eye health. Here are some effective tips:

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1. Avoid the dangers to the cornea and the retina

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Exposure to chemicals, such as detergents, and any trauma can cause burns and eye injuries. It is important that you keep it in mind to take these precautions:

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• Use protective goggles whenever you are going to perform any dangerous activity, such as drilling or using an electric saw, or handling any chemical.

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• Be careful with makeup, as they may contain chemicals that cause allergy. Discard them if they cause discomfort such as stinging, tearing, redness… Products that are applied to the eyelids, such as pencils or masks, can make it harder for the tears to drain and cause dry eyes. It is best to choose hypoallergenic cosmetics.

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• Avoid environments with tobacco smoke, as it causes eye irritation. If you expose yourself to it regularly, it can even deteriorate the macula. It is believed that the tar it contains causes thickening and deposits in the retina.

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• If you use contact lenses, it is very important that you clean them properly. Try not to wear them for hours and follow the manufacturer’s advice carefully to avoid damaging the cornea. Do not put them on if you go to swim in the sea or in a pool, since you run the risk of getting an eye infection that can be serious, such as that produced by Acanthamoeba, an organism that is found in the water.

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2. Provide the moisture they need

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Tears are a protective shield. When we blink less than we should, the tear is not distributed correctly by the eyeball and increases its evaporation, which causes the eye to dry out.

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For example, when we look at a mobile or computer screen we blink only 9 times a minute instead of the 20 we usually do while we talk.

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To avoid dryness you can put this simple exercise into practice: keep your eyes closed for a few seconds and blink, closing your eyes completely. Exaggerating the movement will help you perceive the sensation of complete closure of the eye. Then, open your eyes again and repeat this exercise 10 times in a row each day.

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3. Don’t forget to relieve eye strain

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If you do tasks where you have to look at something closely for a long time, the muscles in your eyes become tense. That is why sewing, reading or looking at a screen for prolonged periods can cause what experts call “visual stress”.

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But practicing these two techniques you can avoid it, as they help stimulate blood flow and oxygenate the eye:

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• “Wink” the eyes. Sit with your eyes straight ahead. Close one eye, tightening the muscles as much as possible, and relax it when you open it. Repeat the exercise with the other eye. This simple movement acts as a natural massage.

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• Refresh your look. If you spend a lot of time at the computer, splash your eyes with water from time to time. Every 15-20 minutes, switch your attention from your gaze and fix for a few seconds at a distant point.

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4. Protect your eyes from the sun

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Just as you take care of your skin using photoresist, you must also avoid sun damage to your eyes, and for this the glasses must meet a series of requirements:

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• Check that they have the guarantee seal saying that they block UVA and UV rays, and even better if they also have an anti-infrared filter.

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• The frame must be enveloping, so that the light does not reach the eyes by the sides.

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• The color of the lens matters, it is not just a matter of fashion. The yellow and orange ones are ideal for fog situations because they improve the contrast, but they are not recommended on very sunny days. If you have myopia and choose to graduate sunglasses, choose brown glasses, which increase both the contrast and depth of field. The transparent lenses of normal glasses, the “to see”, should also include sun protection factor, such as sun protection.

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5. Strengthen your sight

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Our eyes are increasingly punished because of prolonged exposure to screens. Dedicate each day a few minutes to exercise your muscles counteract this “abuse”:

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• Take a book and start reading it as close as possible to your eyes. Then move slowly away as much as you can. Repeat 20 times. This exercise will also help you improve your ability to visual focus.

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• Sit 50 cm from a window and look at the glass. Imagine a line drawn in the center of your vision, focus on it and then look at a point farther away. That’s how you learn to focus from near and far.

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• Look to the left and to the right without moving your head. Then do it up and down slowly. This exercise helps relieve eye strain.

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• Try to look at the tip of your nose and then relax your eyesight. Repeat 3 times.