How To Take Care of Your Eyes as a Busy Parent

As a parent, it is hard to find the time to take care of yourself. But, as you move further through adulthood, your health and wellbeing become more and more important.

Most people know how important it is to take care of your heart, bones, skin etc, but an aspect of your health that is often forgotten about is your eyes. When you think about how important your eyes are to your daily life, it is a wonder it isn’t talked about more. So to help you stay on top of your eye health, experts at Optimax have put together some advice for how you can take care of your eyes as a busy parent, alongside some daily changes that even the busiest parent can make.

Regular Eye Tests

During your busy schedule, it is important to find time for regular eye tests. Eye tests are not just important for updating your prescription, but they are also good for picking up signs of eye disease. As you get older, your risk of developing certain eye diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma increases. Glaucoma is an eye disease with no symptoms so the only way to diagnose this is to see an eye care professional.

Eye tests can also pick up on general illnesses such as diabetes and high blood pressure. So, in between your commitments and carpooling to and from school, find time to take eye tests. It is recommended that you take an eye test every two years, but more often if you are worried about any problems.

Wearing the Correct Lenses

Taking regular eye tests should ensure you wear the correct lenses required for your vision. Having the correct lenses for your eyes will make sure your vision is corrected properly, making you less likely to have an accident. You’ll also be safer when driving and walking through busy areas.

General Health

There are a number of things you can do to take care of your general health, which will help you keep your eyes healthy. Maintaining a healthy diet and drinking enough water is one of them. Make sure you get your 5-a-day and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. What’s more, eating certain foods can be particularly beneficial for your eyes including leafy green vegetables, carrots, fish and some nuts and citrus fruits.

As well as eating healthily, it is also important that you exercise regularly. Exercise helps your blood circulation and oxygen intake, which is important for your eye health. Other general health factors that can help your eyes is to maintain a healthy weight and to quit smoking.

Wear Sunglasses

It is well-known that UV rays and exposure to too much sun is bad for your skin, but it is often forgotten how much the sun can damage your eyes. Strong sunlight can cause damage and can even increase the risk of you developing cataracts. To make sure the UV rays don’t take a toll on your eyes, it is important you wear sunglasses with a built-in UV filter.

Lighting

According to the NHS, to see well your eyes need 3 times as much light when you’re 60, as they did when you were 20. So, as you get older, you should make sure that you aren’t straining your eyes to see things in poor lighting.

You can combat this by increasing daylight into your home by keeping your windows clean and curtains pulled back. Electric lighting should also be in good condition, especially on the stairs where you are more likely to have an accident. For reading or close-up work, use a direct light from a table lamp. But, be careful that the lamp isn’t placed where it will create a glare off the pages.

Sleep

While you sleep, your eyes are continuously lubricated. Any irritants that have made their way into your eyes during the day, such as dust or smoke, are cleared away. So, getting plenty of sleep each night can help your eyes to feel refreshed when you wake up and increase their overall health.

Daily Changes

In addition to this advice, there are many small things you can do daily to help protect your eyes and keep them healthy.

• Avoid rubbing your eyes throughout the day
• Reduce your screen time
• Take off eye-makeup properly each night
• Wear safety goggles for DIY work
• Keep your surroundings clean
• Take contact lenses out before going in any water

Finding time to take care of your eyes is difficult as a busy parent, but your eyes are important for making sure you don’t miss a thing as your children grow up. Making some of these small changes will go a long way, helping you and your family to have healthy eyes, for longer.

*This is a guest post in collaboration with Optimax