Welcome 2022! Although the last 2 years have been difficult, we have stayed strong together, haven’t we? So now, let’s make some resolutions to adopt some good habits and drop the bad ones to have sparkling healthy eyes lifelong!

#1 – I will keep my eyes clean

Good hygiene is one of the most important things for good eye health.

“On waking up every morning, wash your eyes with cool water.”

It will help clean away the dirt and debris that may have accumulated overnight. It will also give you a feeling of freshness, so that you feel ready to start your day.

“Avoid touching your eyes unnecessarily.”

Your fingertips may often be contaminated with germs, and touching your eyes could lead to infection of your eyes.

“If you wear spectacles or contact lenses, you need to take special care of them.”

Spectacles and contact lenses enable you to have crystal clear vision. So wouldn’t you want to take the best care of them? Here are some tips to take care of your spectacles and contact lenses to ensure the best clarity of vision and to maintain optimum eye health.

“If you wear eye makeup, always remember to remove your eye makeup before going to bed.”

Also make sure that the brand you use consists of hypoallergenic products. Eye allergies and infections are often caused by poor quality or expired makeup products.

#2 – I will eat right

Healthy food means a healthy you. And your eyes are no exception.

“Adopt a healthy lifestyle, include whole grains, unprocessed food and natural antioxidant rich foods in your diet.”

Drop the junk food! Yes, I mean it! Cut down on your burgers, fries and coke. If you know how much harm they are doing to you, I am sure you’d never want to have another one of these, ever. Avoid anything that is packed and processed.

Unhealthy food invites health problems like obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Along with compromising your overall health, these conditions do a great amount of harm to your eyes as well.

So, let’s make a pledge to switch to a healthier lifestyle. Along with healthy food, make sure to exercise regularly.

#3 – I will limit my screen time

After junk food, the second biggest enemy of your eyes are those harmful rays emanating from your devices.

Limit your screen time as much as possible. If you are not sure how much time you actually spend on a screen, check out the “digital well being” option in the settings menu of your phone. It will give you a detailed report on how much time you are spending viewing your screen. Keep a tab on it, and try to reduce it as much as possible.

“Excess use of digital screens often leads to Digital Eye Strain.”

I have listed different ways to reduce digital eye strain in my other blog. Most important of all is to blink consciously, ensure correct seating posture and take regular breaks while working.

#4 I will protect my eyes

Our eyes are extremely delicate and they must be protected from all kinds of harm.

“If you are going out in the sun, don’t forget your sunglasses.”

The harmful UV rays from the sun could damage your eyes, so remember to always put your sunglasses on while going out in the sun especially from 10am to 4pm with the sun rays are particularly harsh. Also it is a bad idea to gaze into the sun directly, even with protective glasses. Never do that, it might cost you your vision.

“If you are riding a bike, always wear a helmet.”

Road traffic accidents are responsible for a large amount of mortality and morbidity among young people. A lot of injuries can be prevented by ensuring simple safety measures such as wearing a helmet while riding a bike and wearing a seat belt while driving a car.

“While working with chemicals during cleaning or while gardening, always wear protective glasses.”

Most common cause of chemical injuries to the eyes is a splash of commonly used cleaning chemicals and detergents. Chemical injuries cause intense pain, and can lead to blindness. Also while gardening, there is a chance of injury to your eyes by thorns and twigs, so always make sure your eyes are protected while cleaning or gardening

“Never gaze at a welding arc or a solar eclipse with unprotected eyes.”

Welding arcs radiate ultraviolet rays and a solar eclipse generates infrared rays. Both are extremely harmful for your eyes and can lead to loss of vision. Therefore, remember to never look at a welding arc or solar eclipse with bare eyes.

Do check out my blog on eye emergencies and what you can do as first aid.

#5 – I will go for regular eye checkups

This is the most important thing for healthy eyes. It is recommended that you visit your eye doctor for a routine eye check-up once in a year.

This applies to all ages right from children to the elderly.

“Once a year examination can help diagnose a lot of eye diseases at an early stage and treat them effectively.”

Eye checkups are especially important for people suffering from diabetes, blood pressure, high cholesterol or have a family history of glaucoma.

Also remember,

“Never self medicate!”

Your pharmacist is not your doctor! Please do not use over the counter eyedrops without consulting your eye doctor. These eyedrops do more harm than good. So, if you have an eye problem, please visit your doctor and take only prescribed medicines. Also if your doctor has called you for a follow up, make sure you don’t miss it. Follow-ups are extremely important for optimum care of your eyes.

I hope you will make these resolutions and stick to them life long.

I wish you all a very happy, healthy and prosperous new year 2022!

If you have any questions, feel free to drop a comment below or email me at neha.pednekar1489@gmail.com

I’ll see you soon in my next blog, till then take good care of your eyes and stay healthy.