If your job requires you to keep staring into your computer screen for much of the day, this is for you. This is also for all of you who are addicted to your smartphones or tablets, or even the TV. Two vital organs of our bodies bear the brunt of our modern, digital lives — our eyes! However, eye problems don’t surface overnight. Our bodies try to warn us of eye troubles every now and then. Headaches, dry eyes or even watery eyes are some signs of an imminent eye problem, but most of us tend to ignore these symptoms.

It’s time, however, to realise that eye health should not be neglected. Given the increasing workload of our eyes, it is essential to get timely check-ups for the entire family. This can help avoid serious problems such as presbyopia (difficulty to focus on close-up objects), cataract (clouding of the eye’s lens), floaters, flashes and age-related macular degeneration, commonly known as AMD.

Some of these hazards can be eliminated if we regularly invest some time in eye care. Listed below are a few simple things to protect and improve eyesight naturally!

Adding fresh fruits and vegetables to your daily diet will protect the eyes against nutritional deficiencies.

According to Mahesh Jayaraman, co-founder of Sepalika.com, these simple lifestyle changes will improve eye health:

1. Drink plenty of water:

Dehydration can hasten the development of cataracts. Drink 6-8 glasses of water every day to keep your eyes moist, healthy and clean.

2. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables:

Adding fresh fruits and vegetables to your daily diet will protect the eyes against nutritional deficiencies. Consume foods rich in antioxidants, such as colourful berries, to stop or slow the progression of certain eye diseases.

3. Give your eyes a break from digital screens:

Regular use of mobile phones, television, and computers can tire the eyes. Follow the 20-20-20 rule to provide breaks to your eyes. The rule is very simple: Every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away from your screen for 20 seconds!

4. Quit smoking:

Smoking increases the risk of eye diseases, especially cataract. While you should be kicking the butt for your general well-being, better vision is another reason to make a change.

5. Use sunglasses with UV protection:

Extended exposure to harsh UV rays of the sun has been linked to eye damage. Common risks include cataracts, macular degeneration, and temporary loss of vision. Wear UV-protected sunglasses to protect your eyes from harmful rays of the sun.

# Include vitamins and nutrients in your diet for a healthy eyesight!

Along with lifestyle changes, a healthy diet is equally important for maintaining healthy eyesight.

# Add Simple Eye Exercises to Your Daily Routine.

Have you ever tried eye exercises to relax the muscles located at the back of your eyes? Set aside a few minutes every day for these simple exercises and keep your eye muscles healthy.

1. Palming:

Influenced by yoga, palming involves a simple procedure of rubbing the palms against each other and cupping the warm palms on closed eyelids. This exercise soothes eyeballs and releases stress. The idea behind palming is to impart warmth to your eyeballs without putting too much pressure on them. When you start with palming, initially, you may get a vision of colourful bands or grey patches or an illusion of colours. However, the more you get used to this technique, the darker the vision grows, and ultimately it becomes pitch dark when you are fully relaxed.

2. Zooming:

Lengthen your arm to a comfortable stretch and keep the thumb in a hitchhiking position. Start focusing on the thumb when your arms are fully stretched. Slowly bring your thumb closer, all the while keeping your focus on the thumb. Stop focusing when your thumb is 3 inches away from your eyes. Repeat this process at least thrice every week.

3. Tracing the figure ‘Eight’:

This exercise helps in improving the flexibility of eye muscles. At a distance of approximately 10 feet, visualize an image of eight on its side (resembling the Infinity symbol). Then slowly trace the figure with your eyes for a few minutes and repeat it at regular intervals.

4. Pendulum exercise:

This exercise sharpens the focus of lenses by working on oblique muscles of the eye. You can use either a real pendulum or an imaginary one. The idea is to concentrate on the pendulum and follow its movement by shifting the focus of eyes from side-to-side.