Five best foods for healthy eyes!

July 3, 2014

Our eyes dubbed as the light of our body, need special care before they are being damaged. But many of us take this precious gift for granted, though we depend on them more than any other sense.

Remember, when our eyes are healthy, our whole body is full of light. But, when our eyes are unhealthy, our body gets filled with darkness.

Here are five foods that will keep your eyes healthy:Carrots: Carrots are rich in beta carotene (Vitamin A), which is a powerful antioxidant that can help reduce the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts.

Spinach: Spinach is packaged with Vitamin C, beta carotene and large amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin (two nutrients good for your eyes). Studies have shown that these nutrients can reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.

Oranges: Oranges are also a rich source of lutein and zeaxanthin that do wonders for your eyes.

Eggs: The yolk in eggs is rich in lutein and zeaxanthin as well as zinc, which also helps reduce your risk of macular degeneration.

Fish: Eating fishes like salmon, sardines, tuna and mackerel will help keep your peepers in tip-top shape. These fishes are rich in 0mega-3 fats, which is good for your visual development, retinal function as well as serve as protection against dry eye.

Source: zee news

Staring at screen all day can damage your eyes

June 24, 2014

Working in front of a monitor for more than seven hours per day may lead to symptoms similar to those of dry eye disease, a new study has warned.

The tear fluid that protects and lubricates the eye contains a protein called MUC5AC that is secreted by specialised cells in the upper eyelid.

Researchers have found the levels of MUC5AC in the tears of those who stare for long periods at computer screens were almost as low as in people with dry eye disease, ‘Utah People’s Post’ reported.

People staring at screens also tend to open their eyelids wider as compared to doing other tasks and the extra exposed surface area in addition to infrequent blinking can accelerate tear evaporation and is associated with dry eye disease.

“Office workers who are worried about dry eye can make some simple changes to decrease the risk of disease. The exposed ocular surface area can be decreased by placing the terminal at a lower height, with the screen tilted upward,” Dr Yuichi Uchino, an ophthalmologist at the School of Medicine at Keio University in Tokyo said.

Researchers sampled tears from the eyes of 96 Japanese office workers, roughly two-thirds of which were men. They then measured the concentration of MUC5AC proportional to the total amount of protein in the tears.

The amount of MUC5AC in the tears of workers who looked at screens for more than seven hours per day was, on average, 38.5% lower than the amount in the workers who spent fewer than five hours a day looking at screens.

Among the subjects, 14% were diagnosed with dry eye disease and had 57% less MUC5AC in their tears compared to those without dry eye disease, the report said.

The research was published in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology.
Source: Times of India

Tips for Healthy Eyes

December 21, 2013December 21, 2013

Fortify your vision – Be sure you are getting enough antioxidants like vitamin A, C, and E. Lutein and omega-3 fatty acids are now in studies to determine the effects they have in slowing age-related macular degeneration. And studies show, the average diet includes only a fraction of the nutrients recommended for healthy vision.

Get exercise – It improves blood circulation, which improves oxygen levels to the eyes and the removal of toxins.

Eat healthy – High-fat diets can cause deposits that constrict blood flow in the arteries. The eyes are especially sensitive to this, given the small size of the blood vessels that feed them.

Stop smoking – Smoking limits the blood flow to the eyes and increases oxidative stress.
Protect your eyes – Always wear eye protection that filters out as much UV light as possible. Also, wearing a hat with a brim will greatly reduce the amount of UV radiation slipping around the side of your sunglasses.

See your eye care professional regularly — Changes in your vision can occur without you noticing, and the earlier these changes are detected the better your treatment options.

Source: Bausch