September 11, 2019

4 Good Habits for Healthy Vision

Keep your eyes in tip-top shape

Elder individual holding cabbage, carrots, cauliflower and root vegetables

If you have 20/20 vision (score!) or wear glasses or contacts regularly to correct your vision, you might assume you’re doing everything right to protect your eyesight.

Advertisement

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy

But developing a few additional healthy habits now may pay off for your vision down the road.

As you get older, your risk of developing some of the most common causes of blindness, including cataracts, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration, goes up.

Luckily, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk and protect your vision long-term.

Get your vitamins

Research supports that a number of nutrients can help protect vision, says optometrist Kristi Stalker, OD. They include:

  • Vitamin A. This antioxidant is essential to the vision process and helps protect the surface of the eyes. A deficiency can cause night blindness and, eventually, blindness. Many animal-based foods are high in vitamin A, including liver, oily fish and cheese, but your body can also produce vitamin A from carotenoids found in vegetables like sweet potato, leafy green vegetables and carrots.
  • Vitamin C. Found in many fruits and vegetables including broccoli, grapefruit, strawberries and oranges, this antioxidant helps lower the risk of developing cataracts.
  • Vitamin E. Studies have shown that vitamin E may slow vision damage from AMD. You can get it from sunflower seeds, nuts, avocado and plant oils.
  • Lutein. Lutein, found in high quantities in leafy green vegetables, is thought to filter harmful blue light that enters the eyes and limit damage to the retina.

“I wouldn’t recommend that people take the high-dose vitamins for macular degeneration unless they actually have the condition, but I do think that taking a multivitamin or making sure you eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is very important,” Dr. Stalker says.

Advertisement

Mind the sun

Many people are diligent about applying sunscreen before they go outside to protect their skin — and you should be just as diligent about protecting your eyes.

Excessive UV exposure can damage the front and back of the eyes and contribute to a number of problems that lead to vision loss, including cataracts, macular degeneration and eye cancers. Choose a good-quality pair of sunglasses that wrap around your eye area, and make sure the lenses provide 100% UV spectrum protection.

Follow the 20/20/20 rule

Staring at a computer, smartphone or tablet screen for hours every day strains your eyes (computer vision syndrome is a real thing). “We recommend taking a 20 second break every 20 minutes to look 20 feet away,” Dr. Stalker explains.

“This is to relax your eyes and let yourself blink, because we find that people don’t blink nearly as often when they’re looking at a computer screen.”

Blinking lubricates the eye, so not blinking can make your eyes feel dry. Dr. Stalker recommends using over-the-counter eye drops four times a day if dry eyes cause you discomfort.

See an eye doctor on the regular

Make a visit to an eye doctor part of your annual preventive care routine — and not just to find out whether your glasses prescription has changed. With a comprehensive eye exam, doctors can detect early signs of eye diseases like glaucoma and AMD that might not yet be causing you any symptoms. These conditions are better treated early to minimize or slow vision loss.

Advertisement

Plus, your eyes can hold clues about other aspects of your health. Sometimes, signs of serious conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure can affect your eyes in ways that an optometrist or ophthalmologist can see during a routine exam.

So just because your eyes aren’t bothering you now doesn’t mean you should ignore them. Take these small steps now to manage your screen time, sun time and nutrition, and your eyes will thank you.

Learn more about our editorial process.

Related Articles

Person with pink eye
March 22, 2024
Here’s How To Get Rid of Pink Eye Fast

Eye drops and cold water rinses can help speed up healing for viral and allergen-related conjunctivitis, but a bacterial infection will need antibiotics

Eye doctor holding glasses and a prescription
March 20, 2024
Got a New Eye Prescription? Here’s What It Means

Your eye prescription reveals a lot about your eye health, including how they’re shaped, how well you see and what your new glasses can do for your sight

person holding wearing glasses, holding cell phone and rubbing their eye
March 18, 2024
The Dangers of Rubbing Itchy Eyes

From scratching your cornea and tearing your retina to introducing allergens and causing infections, pawing at your peepers just doesn’t pay off

solar eclipse
March 7, 2024
The Total Solar Eclipse Is Coming — Here’s How To View It Safely

It’s critical to have the proper eyewear if you plan to look up at the sun, especially during the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024

woman sleeping with eye open
February 6, 2024
Why Do Some People Sleep With Their Eyes Open?

Nocturnal lagophthalmos may be caused by damaged nerves or muscles in your face

Female hanging out car window wearing sunglasses
February 6, 2024
Shady Debate: Polarized vs. Non-Polarized Sunglasses

Polarized lenses have an added benefit of a special coating that reduces glare on reflective surfaces like water and snow

Female patient in eye examination room with doctor
February 5, 2024
LASIK vs. SMILE: Which Is Right for You?

Both procedures are about equally effective, but which is better depends on your vision needs and current conditions

person speaking with primary care physician
November 1, 2023
7 Lifestyle Changes That Can Help Diabetes-Related Macular Edema

Getting connected to the right healthcare providers can make a big difference

Trending Topics

Person in yellow tshirt and blue jeans relaxing on green couch in living room reading texts on their phone.
Here’s How Many Calories You Naturally Burn in a Day

Your metabolism may torch 1,300 to 2,000 calories daily with no activity

person getting a sinus massage between brows
5 Sinus Massage Techniques To Relieve Pressure and Promote Drainage

A gentle touch in all the right places may help drain your sinuses

woman snacking on raisins and nuts
52 Foods High In Iron

Pump up your iron intake with foods like tuna, tofu and turkey

Ad