Many people know that blurry vision requires glasses, but they don’t know much more about the field of eye care. Thankfully, you have found this article and all of its great tips and tricks, so you are about to learn a ton. Get ready for a quick course on eye care!

Don’t smoke. You probably already know that there are many serious dangers related to cigarette smoking. One of the less-known dangers is developing Age-related Macular Degeneration(AMD). Several scientific studies have shown that the patients who did smoke were much more likely to develop AMD than those who didn’t smoke. Just another reason not to start smoking or to quit today.

When your eyes are focused on detailed work, remind yourself to look up every ten minutes. Your eyes need to be rested from the intense focus that you are subjecting them to. If you life your eyes and look out into the distance for about a minute, you relax your eye muscles.

Keep your eyes protected when dealing with hazardous situations. In certain types of unclean or hazardous environments, you should keep your eyes protected by wearing safety goggles. These also include certain sports. Activities like lacrosse, ice hockey, or racquetball can cause eye injuries, which is why you should wear helmets that have built-in face masks or sports goggles.

Make sure to purchase quality sunglasses for eye protection. The sunglasses should block UVA rays and UVB rays. Even if sunglasses are just a fashion item for you, know that some low-quality sunglasses can actually hurt your vision.

Wear protective eye gear. Sunglasses are great when it comes to protecting your eyes from the sun, but when you’re on the job and need to protect your eyes from sawdust, debris, or sand make sure you wear tougher eye gear than just a pare of goggles. Goggles are a must-have for anyone working in these kinds of environments.

If you suffer with red puffy eyes a lot, consider reducing your sodium intake. Unfortunately, the salt we enjoy on our food isn’t all that good for our bodies, including the eyes. Try switching to sea salt instead, or using other herb and spice mixtures that contain no sodium at all. Your eyes should improve quickly.

Avoid glare when possible, including that from your electronic devices. Glare is a concentration of bright light, so you know it is not good for your eyes. If you are using your device where glare is an issue, you should purchase an anti-glare screen protector for your laptop, phone or tablet.

When you are reading, make sure that you have adequate lighting. Reading in low light can cause your eyes to strain unnecessarily. This can lead to eye discomfort and potential problems. Read by a window that provides bright light, or turn on more lights indoors when you are reading at night.

Be sure to not only get your vision checked every year, but have a comprehensive exam. This often includes other tests which peer inside the eye to check for conditions such as glaucoma or even diabetes. The sooner you catch these issues, the easier it will be to treat them.

Enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning. If you’re looking for another excuse to drink coffee in the morning, then you’ve found one. Studies have shown that drinking one or two cups of coffee each morning can actually help replenish tears that help keep eyes moist. Keep the limit at two cups or you’ll do more damage than good.

Make sure to have your eyes looked at regularly. Many people, particularly if they do not wear glasses or contacts, have not been to the eye doctor in years. You should go at least once in your 20s and at least twice in your 30s to make sure everything is on track. Once you hit forty, try and visit the eye doctor every three years or so. And, when you reach age 65, you should go every other year.

Use cucumber slices on puffy eyes. The cucumbers should be cut into quarter slices so you can put them onto the eyelids while you close your eyes for a while. Cool, soaked green tea bags can help reduce inflammation and puffiness.

If you want to maintain your eyes healthy and you are a smoker, quit smoking. Smokers are more prone to getting optic nerve damage, macular degeneration and cataracts. If you have attempted to quit smoking before and have failed, keep trying. If you need extra motivation, think about the damage smoking can do to your eyes.

You have now been educated, so the next step is to put what you’ve learned into action. Begin with the tips you think are most prudent for your own personal situation and start using them today. Once you have those integrated into your life, you’ll find things get better quickly.

Eye Care Tips Every Person Needs To Know was originally published on Spring