Health Maintaining a HEALTHY VISION By Arthur Adil It is said that the eyes are the window to the soul and one of the most beautiful parts God created on the human face. Have you imagined how relevant a good eyesight can be? Imagine the frustration of straining the eyes to get a good sight due to a few visual-related-problems? In my opinion, life would be hollow without a good healthy eyesight. Keeping your eyes, strong and healthy is not something to ignore, especially in this era, where we are constantly blending with bright computers and phone screens. Having a poor diet that does not contain nutrients like vitamins C & E and living in chocked and dirty places could have an influence on your eyes. It could lead to a poor eyesight. A good vision is tantamount to maintaining a good eyesight routine to improve on the quality of vision as we grow older. Poor eyesight is a common problem among the young and old around the world and that is why we are seeing an increasing number of people resorting to artificial lenses. (Glasses or lenses). Yes, some making millions of dollars from your carelessness or inability to keep your eyes healthy. Other victims of related eye diseases like myopia (nearsightedness), presbyopia (loss of near vision with age), hyperopia (far sight), without glasses, move through stages of poor eyesight to blindness. Possible vision problems usually come with signs and symptoms. Therefore, once you experience certain eye problems or symptoms, quickly schedule an appointment with an optician. Below are possible signs that your eyes are experiencing some problems: Any sudden change in vision. Cloudy, blurred, or double vision. Severe, sudden eye pain. Changes in the colour of the iris. Recurrent pain in or around the eye. Unusual, even painful, sensitivity to light or glare. Seeing rainbows or halos around lights. Swollen, red eyes. Itching, burning, or a heavy discharge from the eyes. Seeing floating “spider webs”. You are strongly advised to see your Ophthalmologists or optician immediately you have noticed any of the above symptoms. However, the above eye problems can be taken care of with simple tips: 1. Eat right to protect your sight. Carrots preferably are good for your eyes. But eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, particularly dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, or collard greens is equally important for keeping your eyes healthy. Research has also shown there are eye health benefits from eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna. 2. Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing diabetes and other systemic conditions which can lead to vision loss, such as diabetic eye disease or glaucoma. If you are having trouble maintaining a healthy weight, talk to your doctor or visit your dietitian. 3. Have a comprehensive dilated eye exam. You might think your vision is fine or that your eyes are healthy, but visiting your eye care professional for a comprehensive dilated eye exam is the only way to really be sure. 4. Quit smoking or never start. Smoking is as bad for your eyes as it is for the rest of your body. Research has linked smoking to an increased risk of developing age-related mascular degeneration, cataract, and optic nerve damage, all of which can lead to blindness. 5. Keeping a good hygiene. Prevents vectors like houseflies that would cause trachoma there. 6. Putting on glasses. Sunglasses are a great fashion accessory, but their most important job is to protect your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. When purchasing sunglasses, look for ones that block out 99 to 100 percent of both UV-A and UV-B radiation. 7 For those using contact lenses, washing hands and your contact lenses should be mandatory to avoid the risk of infections, always wash your hands thoroughly before putting in or taking out your contact lenses. Make sure to disinfect contact lenses as instructed and replace them as appropriate. 8. For refractive errors, spectacles are prescribed to the patients at a price depending on the condition, quality of the frames, the design where you buy them. Definitely, having a healthy eye sight cannot be overlooked. By simply taking good care of your eyes and changing your lifestyle you could add more years to your eyes and life. More than that, you would save yourself the hard-earned money you spend on medical treatments. Keep your beautiful eyes healthy! 6 Kata kata cartoon magazine <strong>Issue</strong> <strong>17</strong> APR <strong>2018</strong> www.katakata.org