Tiptop

According to World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 285 million people worldwide suffer from low vision and blindness. Of these, 39 million are blind and 246 million have moderate or severe visual impairment. The major causes of visual impairment are uncorrected refractive errors (43%) and cataract (33%). Most of the blindness (approx 80%) is avoidable ie curable or preventable.

To mark World Sight Day on October 12 and to educate people about blindness prevention, the National Health Portal Of India’s initiative Vision 2020 lists some tips to have healthy eye-sight:

• Eat well-balanced diet including green leafy vegetables, eggs, beans, carrots
• Quit smoking as it can lead to sight related problems including cataract, optic nerve damage.
• Wearing UV protected sunglasses. It will prevent the direct effect of the sunlight which is good for your eyes.
• Wear safety glasses. It is recommended that if you work with hazardous materials on the job, it is essential to wear safety eyewear to protect your eyes.
• If you are working on computers for a longer duration, make sure that you take frequent breaks and blink more often to reduce eye dryness.
• Use an antiglare eyewear while watching TV or working on computer.
• Don’t read in dim light as it is one of the major causes of eye strain. 
• Go for a regular eye checkup.
• Try to avoid glare on your computer from windows and lights. Use an anti-glare screen if needed.
• If you wear contact lenses, avoid wearing them for too long. Avoid swimming & sleeping while wearing contact lenses.
• Every 20 minutes, rest your eyes by looking 20 feet away for 20 seconds.