National Nutrition Week 2023: Know The Nutrients Required For Better Eye Health

Good eye health is closely linked to overall well-being, and certain essential nutrients play a crucial role in supporting your vision.

Know Ways To Take Care Of Your Eyes (Repesentational Image)

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Eyes are one of the most vital organs in our body and it is very important to take care of them. Good eye health is closely linked to overall well-being, and certain essential nutrients play a crucial role in supporting your vision. These particular nutrients are essential for preserving optimal eye functionality, shielding your eyes from detrimental light exposure, and minimizing the occurrence of age-related degenerative conditions.

In this regard, Dr Ananya Ganguly who is an Ophthalmologist at Disha Eye Hospitals, Kolkata said, "There is nothing called an appropriate diet that makes eyesight better. However some nutrients in certain foods do keep the eyes healthy overall and some have also been found to reduce the risk of certain eye diseases  as well. The age related eye disease study updated in 2013 listed few edible items as the vitals to maintain eye health. For instance, fruits and green leafy vegetables like sweet potato, carrot, spinach are rich sources of Vitamins A, C and E."

Nutrient-Rich Food Items That Are Beneficial For The Eyes:

Dr. Ananya Ganguly went on to list a few nutrient rich food items that are beneficial for the eyes:

• Vitamin A plays an important  role in vision strengthening as it is the main component of Rhodopsin which helps the eyes to adapt in low-light conditions. Severe Deficiency of vitamin A can lead to serious conditions like night blindness also.
• Vitamin E rich foods like sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts etc and Vitamin C rich citrus fruits like lemon,oranges ets have antioxidant properties. These antioxidants help to reduce oxidative stress responsible for tissue damage.
• Fishes and various nuts are also rich in omega 3 fatty acids. Studies show omega 3 fatty acids can help prevent dry eye and can also help to delay age related macular degeneration. Supplements rich in antioxidants like lutein, beta carotene, zeaxanthin, zinc etc are advised to patients with macular degeneration.
• Last but not the least ,water is an inevitable factor to maintain good eye health. Staying hydrated keeps away many irritable eye problems like dry eye disease at a bay.
• There is again nothing as such harmful for eye health as long as it is taken in and as a balanced  diet. Any fatty food can affect your heart health and can lead to damage in the blood vessels of the eye. This can in turn lead to central retinal vein or artery occlusion  .
• Excessive sugar-rich foods can lead to high glycemic index and diabetes. Diabetes again can affect the eyes with diabetic retinopathy and consequent macular edema.
• Smoking and Drinking alcohol again can affect eye health and can lead to vision threatening conditions like central serous chorioretinopathy.

Tips To Take Care Of Your Eye Health:

Dr. Sanjay Dhawan who is the Principal Director & HOD – Ophthalmology at Max Multi Speciality Centre, Panchsheel Park suggested some tips to take care of your eye health:

• Monitor should be placed about 2-3 feet from the eyes (or at the farthest comfortable distance).
• Do not gaze constantly at the monitor for long duration. Take your eyes off the screen every 5-10 minutes.
• Every half an hour or so close your eyes for 1-2 minutes to give them rest.
• Every hour or so take a 5 minutes break (go for a stroll or run some errand).
• Make a conscious effort to blink more frequently. Avoid sitting in front of an air conditioner facing its air draft while working on computer.
• Convergence Exercises - Regular eye exercise can help prevent the problems caused by working on computers or even heavy reading or writing work. These exercises are advised for all computer professionals, students, office workers, etc.
• Sit on a chair upright and look at a far off small object.
• Then hold out a pen at level with your eyes at an arm's length and look at its tip.
• Gradually bring the pen close to your eyes to a point where you feel a mild strain on your eyes. The tip of the pen should remain clear and single in appearance. Hold the pen in this position for about half a minute and then again gradually take it back to an arm’s length. Hold it here again for about half a minute, and then again bring the pen close to your eyes.
• Repeat above step 10 times and then again look the far off small object. Again repeat the whole sequence.
• In the beginning this exercise should be done for 5-10 minutes just once a day in the morning at a time when you are fresh and rested. After one week it should be increased to twice daily and after two weeks thrice a day. Avoid doing the exercise when you are tired or are having pain in eyes or headache. In the initial period when you begin exercising the pain in the eyes and headache may increase, but this should not discourage you. As you continue the exercise you will gradually feel relief from the symptoms over 2-3 weeks.
• Continue the exercise for 2 months to build good eye muscle strength and reserves power.
• Lubricant Eye Drops - Lubricant eye drops instilled 3-4 times a day help in soothing the eyes and relieving irritation and redness. Many preparations are available in the market. Although allergy or reactions to these eye drops are uncommon yet one should be careful in using them, and if they cause any irritation, redness or swelling of the eyes they should be immediately discontinued. It is advisable to consult an ophthalmologist before using any eye medicines.
• Anti-glare glasses especially with blue filter provide only minor relief.

How Often Should Eye Check Ups Be Done?

In this regard, Dr Sandeep Buttan who is the Technical Lead: Eye Health & Health System Strengthening at Sightsavers India said, "Most eye problems (refractive errors, Cataract etc) may have presenting visual symptoms e.g. blurring of near or distance vision etc. and thus are detected when people visit an eye hospital for the problem. Some issues (Refractive errors in children, Diabetic retinopathy, Glaucoma etc.) are completely asymptomatic in the initial phases and may thus be ignored till late. Thus regular comprehensive eye check ups are recommended at least once every 2-3 years to screen for common eye problems. Additionally, school children should get an eye check up done every year, while for those who have a family history of Glaucoma or DM, should get their eyes checked once a year with complete retina check up."