Caring for your eyes is a hugely important task. Sadly, most people have no idea what it takes to keep their eyes in tip top shape. The tips and tricks found below will assist you in making sure your eyes are working for you instead of against you over time.

What you eat is very important to the health of your eyes. A diet that is rich in vitamin A and omega-3 fatty acids are helpful to good eyesight. Many vegetables like carrots and broccoli are rich in vitamin A. Fish and nuts can provide you with the omega-3 that you need.

People who wear contacts need to take particularly good care of their eyes. While contacts are very useful for vision, if the materials are not properly cleaned and maintained, it can be potentially damaging to eyes. Make sure your contacts are the right prescription and that you follow all instructions provided by your health care professional.

When shopping for sunglasses, it is important that the lense says it offers 100% UV protection. It is not enough to just have tinted glass because the sun’s radiation can still penetrate the glass and damage your eyes. UV protection will block out the radiation and protect your eyes from damage.

Find out if someone in your family has eye issues. A lot of eye conditions are genetic and it will be easier for a doctor to help you if you know of your risks. Ask older family members so you will know.

Omega-3 fatty acids will help you with eye care. Food that is healthy and contains proper nutrients is good to maintain eye health. Foods that make this list are tuna, halibut, salmon and dark green leafy vegetables. Consume the recommended daily value per day of these foods.

If you wear contact lenses, avoid wearing them while you sleep or for more than 19 hours. Unless you are wearing special lenses that are made for wearing overnight, your contact can deprive your eyes of oxygen and lead to extreme discomfort and possibly serious permanent damage to your sight.

When it comes to puffy eyes, there is a quick and easy solution which can literally cure you of the problem. Stop eating salt! The more salt you eat, the more water you retain, and that will become visible around your eyes. Reduce your sodium and your puffiness will disappear.

If you are planning on staying outside for a long period of time, wear a baseball hat or visor. This can prevent the sun’s harmful rays from impacting your eyes and can reduce any irritation that you feel. Additionally, your eyes will become less dry if you block the sun from entering in.

Do you play sports? Certain contact sports, like lacrosse and ice hockey, can be dangerous for your eyes. Make sure you wear either sports goggles or a face mask to limit your risk. While it may seem strange to wear them at first, you will quickly get used to them.

Keep saline solution handy. When you’re on the job you should always be sure you wear some safety goggles. However, you can’t get the people out there to get the home clean when they don’t wear goggles. If you get soap or household cleaning chemicals in your eye, the best thing you can do right away is to clean your eyes with a saline solution.

Make sure to consume copious amounts of Vitamin A during the course of the day. Vitamin A is great for helping to reduce the inflammation and irritation that you may feel, which can cause dryness. Foods that have high sources of this vitamin include carrots, chicken, potatoes, spinach and sweet potatoes.

Keep in mind that having eye issues may be inevitable for some. Many eye conditions are hereditary. You can take great care of your eyes and still have major issues. If you have family member with eye problems, you may want to talk to them about which issues run in the family. You can bring up these conditions to your optometrist so that they can watch for the early signs.

People who have allergies often have red and itchy eyes. Be careful to avoid rubbing them because that will only make the problem worse. If you have seasonal allergies you can take medication to prevent the symptoms, and you can also use allergen-reducing eye drops. Make sure to follow the directions for the eye drops to avoid future problems.

When you use these tips, you will find that your eyes are healthy and see clearly. Be sure to take great care of your eyes so that they continue to work well long into your golden years. What you’ve learned today will last a lifetime, so be sure to keep using this information long into the future.

Everything You Need To Know About Eye Care was originally published on Spring