Generally your vision changes the older you get. The signs are usually subtle at first, it starts with not being able to read small print close up, so you have to hold them further and further away as your vision deteriorates.
With the aging baby boomer population this is the reason we have seen the proliferation of off the shelf reading glasses, however there are eye exercises you can do to improve your vision naturally.
Diet Is Important
If you want to know how to improve eyesight naturally one of the areas to start with is diet. It is a good idea to increase the amount of orange or yellow colored vegetables and fruits/ These foods contain higher amount of a substance known as beta-carotene. We have all hear as children that eating carrots is good for your eyesight, well this is the reason why, carrots are high in beta-carotene.
Eating spinach, kale and basically any green leafy vegetables because they are rich in carotenoids, especially lutein, which is a yellow pigment that is known to protect the macula (this is the area of the retina used for central vision) from solar burns and phosphorescent light. Also wearing UV rated sunglasses will also help.
Garlic and onion are rich sources of sulfur, necessary for production, an important antioxidant for the eye, as well as for the entire organism.
The production of glutathione which is an important antioxidant for the eye is found in foods that are high in sulfur like garlic and onions, these should also be included in your diet.
Soy, is high in essential fatty acids, vitamin E and anit-inflamation compounds.
Eggs, which are high in cysteine, sulfur, lecithin, amino acids and lutein, plus vitamin B2, prevent the formation of cataracts. Vitamins B are essential for proper cell function, and are involved in recycling antioxidants.
Seafood in particular cold water fish contain certain ingredients that offer structural support to cell membranes, and are recommended in the treatment of macular degeneration which is loss of vision.
Smoking is certainly not good for your health and is known to lead to blindness.
Eye Exercises To Improve Eyesight
Regular general light cardio exercise such as brisk walking is a good place to start, and is essential for good overall health. Carrying excessive weight also plays a part in the deterioration of eyesight.
However there are also ‘eye exercises you can do to that go a long way to improving your eye sight. The secret to getting results from any exercise is consistency, you should aim to incorporate your eye exercises in your daily routine.
Rub your hands together vigorously to generate some heat in your palms. Then place the palms of your hands over your eyes and let your eyes relax. Try and place your palms over your eyes in such a way as to not let light in. Do this whenever you can during the day, especially if you are sitting in front of a computer. Also you can use alternating hot and cold compresses on your eyes to help them relax.
Dry eyes can not only make your eyes feel itchy and look red but can also lead to deterioration in eyesight. So try and make a conscious effort to blink frequently especially when you are in front of a computer screen or watching TV.
If you suffer from excessively dry eyes you should consider using an artificial tears solution.
When you think about it your eye is really made up of muscles, so considering the way your muscles work then it is easy to comprehend that the less exercise they get the less effective they will be. This also applies to your eyes. A way to combat this is to apply what is called the 20/20/20 exercise. What you do is every twenty minutes, you focus on an object that is at least twenty feet away for about 20 seconds. Then put your thumb 5 inches away from your face and focus on it, then after about 5 seconds focus on something behind it. Try and do this about ten times whenever you have time.
You probably know about the importance of stretching your muscles when it comes to normal exercise. If you don’t stretch, or if you use the same muscles over and over again without moving opposite muscle groups, you lose flexibility. Well the same applies to your eyes. If you are in a position where you have to focus your eyes in one direction for prolonged period of time then be sure you occasionally focus on different objects from time to time, basically try not to keep your eyes in the same position for extended periods.
Other Things You Can Do To Improving Your Eyesight.
If your eyes are focusing on a task for extended periods make sure, you are able to take regular breaks from the task. If you take a 10 min break every hour you will help to eliminate strain on the eye which will give your eyes a chance to heal themselves.
Just as everyone is different so is the amount of stress and strain they can handle in everyday life so is the same
as to the amount of eye stress and strain you can handle. The more time you spend in front of the TV, computer screen or playing games on a hand held device the more strain you put your eyes under. Try and take time away from these activities. If you do you will be surprised how much better your eyes actually feel.
You may have found when you are tired and have to drive somewhere how itchy and irritable your eyes become to the point it almost hurts to keep your eyes open. Adequate amount of sleep is not only important for your general well being but also can greatly assist your eyesight improvement because it allows your eye muscles to completely relax.