Our eyes work hard every day – from the moment we wake up until we go to bed. In a digital world with many hours spent in front of screens, it's more important than ever to take extra good care of your eyes. Read on to find out what you can do to maintain healthy vision throughout your life!
The best and shortest advice: Eat healthy, exercise, blink often, sleep well, and protect your eyes with a pair of sunglasses to keep them healthy for the rest of your life!
1. Eat eye-friendly foods
A varied diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables plays a crucial role in your eye health. Focusing on foods rich in antioxidants, vitamins A, C, and E, lutein, beta-carotene, copper, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids will have a positive effect on your eyes, as it will protect them from age-related diseases such as cataracts and AMD (age-related macular degeneration). Discover foods that are especially good for your vision:
Vegetables: Carrots, spinach, kale, broccoli, arugula, and white cabbage
Fruits: Citrus fruits, kiwis, and berries (e.g., blueberries and blackcurrants)
Fish: Salmon and mackerel (preferably 2-3 times a week)
Nuts: Walnuts
Oil: Flaxseed oil and rapeseed oil
Psst… drink plenty of fluids if you tend to have dry eyes. 2-3 liters of water a day ensures your eyes get the moisture they need.
2. Get fresh air
Your body needs fresh air – and so do your eyes. A walk provides rest for tired eyes and relief for dry eyes – especially in winter when many rooms are heated, making the air very dry. If you spend all day in front of a screen, it's also a good idea to ventilate regularly to maintain a good indoor climate. A poor indoor climate can cause irritated and red eyes or a gritty sensation. An air purifier can also be a good solution for a healthy indoor climate, as it cleans the air in the room by removing particles such as dust, pollen, and smoke that can irritate your eyes.
3. Wear sunglasses
It is important to protect your eyes from the sun's rays, as prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays is harmful. It can damage the eye's lens and retina – but also cause damage to the eyelids, including sun rash and skin cancer. Always wear sunglasses, both in summer and winter, with UV400 protection to shield your eyes from the sun. The larger your sunglasses are, the more they protect your eyes and the delicate skin around them. See all our recycled sunglasses and prescription sunglasses
4. Monitor screen time
Many hours in front of a screen or mobile phone can lead to digital eye strain due to the intense blue light. Symptoms can include dry and tired eyes, blurred vision, and headaches. Remember to blink to maintain moisture in your eyes and take regular breaks. The 20-20-20 rule is a good habit: every 20 minutes, look away from the screen for 20 seconds at something at least 20 feet (6 meters) away, so your eyes are not only exposed to the short distance to the screen.
Psst… avoid screen time a couple of hours before bedtime. The blue light from the screen tells your eyes to release less melatonin to keep you awake. Melatonin helps you feel sleepy and fall asleep.
5. Avoid drafts
Drafts from open windows, doors, or air conditioning often cause irritated and dry eyes. When your eyes are exposed to cold or dry moving air, your tear fluid evaporates, as your tear film is disturbed. This can lead to drying of the eye's surface, which is often experienced as itching, stinging, red eyes, or a gritty sensation.
If you already have dry eyes or wear contact lenses, your eyes may be more sensitive to drafts. Everyday situations can also irritate your eye mucous membranes – for example, sleeping in a room with an open window or driving with the window rolled down. Discover 5 good tips to avoid drafts:
1. Avoid sitting directly in a draft – for example, in front of an open window or a fan.
2. Adjust air conditioning and heaters so they don't blow directly in your face.
3. Wear glasses that protect against strong wind, especially when you are out in windy weather.
4. Consider using eye drops (artificial tears) if you feel dry or irritated eyes.
5. Always create a good indoor climate – avoid the room being too dry, cold, or too windy.
Although fresh air is good for your health, it is important to be aware of how air and wind affect your eyes. Small changes in everyday life can make a big difference and help you maintain moist and healthy eyes at all times.
6. Get moving
Exercise is good – also for your eyes. When you move, blood circulation throughout your body increases – including to your eyes. This means your eyes receive fresh oxygen and nutrients, which can help keep your eye tissue healthy. A Danish study has shown that physical activity for at least 7 hours a week can reduce the risk of early AMD (age-related macular degeneration). The study included everything from cycling, running, walking, gardening, dog walking, and using stairs. So keep in mind that just 1 hour of exercise a day can significantly reduce your risk of AMD.
7. Get enough sleep
Sleep is important for your eyes, because when you sleep, they get peace to rebuild themselves with a series of repair and regeneration processes, which allows them to function optimally. During a day, your eyes are exposed to a lot of activity – they have to shift focus, adapt to light conditions outside and inside, for example, from lighting and screen light, and they are also exposed to dry air and pollution. All of this can make your eyes dry, tired, or irritated – especially if you don't get enough sleep. When you sleep, your eye muscles get peace to relax completely, which improves blood circulation to your eyes, thereby providing the eye's tissues with renewed oxygen and nutrients. If you don't get enough sleep, you can get dry and red eyes, and you may experience blurred vision, increased light sensitivity, and in some cases, a risk of infections, as your tear production will decrease and thus the eye's natural defense will be weakened.
It is recommended that you get 7-9 hours of sleep at regular times to achieve the best recovery. The quality of your sleep is also important, so make sure you establish good sleep habits:
• Avoid screen time a couple of hours before bedtime
• Ensure peace and darkness in the bedroom
• Create a good sleep rhythm
• Do not drink caffeine and alcohol late in the day
Sleep is important if you want to take good care of your eyesight. Give your eyes the rest they deserve and wake up with a fresher and healthier look.
8. Quit cigarettes
We know that smoking is harmful to the lungs and heart, but not many realize that smoking damages the small blood vessels that supply the eye's delicate structure with oxygen and nutrients. When blood flow is weakened, there is a greater risk of developing eye diseases such as cataracts and AMD (age-related macular degeneration).
9. Do eye exercises
Movement is good – both for body and soul – but also for your eyes. Eye exercises help relax eye muscles, improve focus ability, and give your eyes a much-needed break during the day. Discover 4 eye exercises that can help keep your eyes healthy and flexible:
Exercise 1: The 20-20-20 rule
For every 20 minutes you work in front of a screen, look away for 20 seconds at something at least 6 meters (20 feet) away. This helps the eye muscles relax.
Exercise 2: Palming (eye relaxation)
1. Rub your hands together to warm them. 2. Gently place them over your closed eyes without pressing. 3. Sit in the dark for 1-2 minutes and focus on your breathing. This can reduce tension and give your eyes a much-needed break.
Exercise 3: Eye gymnastics
1. Look up and down 10 times. 2. Look right and left 10 times. 3. Make circles with your eyes, first clockwise, then counter-clockwise. These exercises can improve your eye's flexibility and reduce fatigue.
Exercise 4: Focus exercise
1. Hold a pen or finger about 15 cm from your nose. 2. Focus on the tip, then shift your gaze to something far away. Repeat 10 times. This strengthens the ability to switch focus between near and far.
10. Get your eyes checked
We don't always notice that our vision is getting worse. We slowly get used to our eyesight becoming weaker and only notice it when it becomes a problem. Therefore, it is a good idea to have regular check-ups with an optician or ophthalmologist. An eye check every year or every other year can detect vision changes or eye diseases in time.
