‘Loving your eyes tastes good’ – Optometrist on benefits of healthy eyes

One may wonder how good it tastes to love your eyes in as much as it cannot be tasted. Well, these are words from a Principal Optometrist, Dr James Duah-Bisiw as he explains the benefits of maintaining healthy eyes.

He stated that when the eyes are loved, one would take all necessary procedures and practices to maintain the eyes and that feels good.

The eye specialist said the vision is the most dominant sense possessed by humans and hence it is very vital to pay attention to the eyes as well as other parts of the body.

Dr Duah-Bisiw added that most people develop problems in and around the eyes because they take their vision for granted and there is the need to desist from such.

He stated that poor nutrition is also a contributing factor to increased eye problems experienced by lots of people around the world.

He recommended that individuals should consume green leafy vegetables, fruits, carrots and other foods that contain very essential nutrients to provide ample strength to the eye and provide antioxidants that are essential to good eye health.

Dr Duah-Bisiw further stated that water is also essential in maintaining good pressure within the eyeballs, and hence individuals should increase water intake to prevent dehydration which can lead to blurriness in vision.

Explaining the cause of headaches as a result of eye problems, he explained that there are muscles in and around the eyes which stay activated as a result of engaging in activities involving the eyes.

These muscles begin to ache when the eyes have been overworked and that results in headaches.

“It is just like exercising. Once you over-exercise, your body muscles begin to ache and the same applies to the eyes.”

Another cause of such headaches is dryness as a result of reduced blinking.

He explained that blinking refreshes the eye by distributing tears on the eyes and that, reduced blinking due to prolonged usage of devices or working activities leads to an insufficient distribution of tears which causes dehydration in the eyes causing headaches.

The optometrist advised that “after every twenty minutes of near work, take a twenty-second break looking twenty feet away from you. Move away from your screen and look at a farther distance.”

This, he explained, helps relax muscles in the eye and prevents headaches.

The eye specialist advised that regular eye checking by a professional should be the way to go to detect and reduce eye problems amongst people.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), one billion people around the world have a preventable vision impairment or one that has yet to be addressed.

Reduced or absent eyesight can have major and long-lasting effects on all aspects of life, including daily personal activities, interacting with the community, school and work opportunities and the ability to access public services.

Reduced eyesight can be caused by several factors, including diseases like diabetes and trachoma, trauma to the eyes, or conditions such as refractive error, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration or glaucoma.

The majority of people with vision impairment are over the age of 50 years; however, vision loss can affect people of all ages.