See Clearly: A Guide on How to Improve Eyesight Naturally

We know the irony of reading tips on how to improve eyesight on a screen — but hey, at least we’re giving you an antidote! Dry eyes, eyestrain, itchiness are all complaints that have become a part of our lives, regardless of age, especially in the current digital era where everything is displayed to you on a screen, tips on how to improve eyesight naturally is a must.

Vision is a long-term game and actually doesn’t require a lot of effort if you make small, consistent efforts everyday. Here are a few ways in which you can improve eyesight naturally, at home and eye supplements that you should consider to have that 20/20 vision. 

Tips on How to Improve Eyesight Naturally at Home

1. Exercise regularly 

Exercising for a healthy body but leaving the eyes out? Nope. Your pupils need a work out too and can have a huge impact on long-term eye health. 

So if you are wondering how to improve eyesight naturally at home here are some effective eye exercises that will help.

Palming

This is a great way to help yourself and your eyes relax and take a breather. Close your eyes and cover them with your palms, this creates a warm, dark environment, allowing your eyes to rest.

Eye Rolling

Yes! Seriously, gently rolling your eyes in a circular motion, both clockwise and counterclockwise, helps improve flexibility and reduce eye strain.

Blinking

The simple and often involuntary act of blinking can help refresh your eyes. Blinking helps moisten the eyes and reduce dryness. Take regular breaks to blink rapidly to rejuvenate your eyes.

Pencil Push-Ups

Hold a pencil at arm's length and focus on the tip. Slowly bring the pencil closer to your nose, keeping it in focus. Move it back to arm's length, similar to doing push ups, hence the name. Repeat and you will enhance your eyes’ convergence ability.

2. 20-20-20 rule

The 20-20-20 rule is a quick and effective way to help reduce eye strain, especially for those who have a lot of screentime (you know who you are). The rule suggests that for every 20 minutes of screen time, you should take a break and look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. This practice relieves eye strain, reduces the risk of computer vision syndrome, and helps maintain overall eye health.

3. Eat for Bright Eyesight 

Just like in the case of your overall physical and mental wellbeing, in the journey on how to improve eyesight naturally our eyes need nutrition to function optimally. 

Here are some foods to include for a vision-ary diet :

Vitamins A, C, E, Omega-3 and minerals like copper and zinc are essential to eyesight. So eat those raw carrots, nuts, fish & oranges!

Antioxidants, including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, protect the macula from sun damage. Get these antioxidants from dark leafy greens, egg yolks, yellow peppers, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and carrots. prevent age-related macular degeneration.

Anthocyanin-rich blueberries, grapes, and goji berries have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can help improve your vision. You can also consider including supplements such as eye gummies that contain some of these vitamins, antioxidants and fruit and vegetable extracts to take additional care of your eyesight and support your diet. 

Good old water, staying hydrated not only helps boost your nutrient absorption, digestion and give you glowing skin. Drinking enough water will keep the dryness and twitchy eyes at bay.

Getting enough key vitamins and minerals is essential. If you are looking for ways to improve your diet to make it more holistic for optimal bodily functions here is an in depth view on which vitamin is good for eyes.

4. Give ‘em some R&R

Another very important way on how to improve eyesight naturally at home, sleeping. Yes, getting enough sleep is crucial for eye health, we are talking 7-9 hours each night. Sleep helps alleviate strain caused by the day’s activities such as reading, working on a computer, or exposure to harsh lights, which cause significant stress to the eyes.

Sleep allows your eyes (and your whole body) to fully rest, repair, and recover. Insufficient sleep can weaken your vision, so make sure you’re eyeing for that beauty sleep!

5. Put your (sun) glasses on!

Wearing sunglasses outdoors blocks harmful UV rays from the sun. Prolonged exposure to UV rays can contribute to cataracts, macular degeneration, and damage to the cornea. Squinting in bright sunlight can also lead to eye strain and fatigue. By wearing sunglasses, you can reduce the need to squint, thus minimising eye strain and discomfort.

Sunglasses also provide a barrier against elements like wind, dust, and debris, which can otherwise irritate and harm the eyes.

So next time you are choosing a brand new pair of sunglasses, think beyond it as a fashion statement. The eye catching pair must also provide adequate UV protection. Look for sunglasses labelled as blocking 100% of UVA and UVB rays. Additionally, considering the lens colour and polarisation can impact how effectively sunglasses reduce glare and enhance visual comfort.

6. Get Those Checkups

Prevention is always better than cure. Schedule regular visits with your ophthalmologist (yes, not a store that sells sunglasses) at least once every six months. Also remember that some eye conditions are hereditary (the likes of glaucoma, retinal & macular degeneration), so you might want to speak to your family and understand this better and take the right precautions early! Avoiding getting your eyesight checked and maybe wearing prescription glasses is not helping you at all and is just making the situation worse.

7. Stop Smoking

If you think smoking and how to improve eyesight naturally are not connected, think again. Smoking has long been known to cause heart and lung disease. But, did you know smoking can lead to vision loss! Studies have shown smoking increases the risk of age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma dry eye syndrome. 

Dry eye syndrome results when the structures of the eye fail to produce sufficient tears to effectively lubricate the eye surface. Dry eye symptoms include gritty feeling, redness, stinging and general discomfort among others. As a known eye irritant, tobacco smoke can contribute to dry eye syndrome. Tobacco smoke breaks down the lipid layer of tear film, leading to dry eyes. And this habit of smoking is not just affecting your health but can to friends and loved ones through passive smoking, so quit smoking your body and your loved ones will thank you.

The bottom line on how to improve eyesight naturally? Things like eating your veggies, watching your weight & doing simple exercises may seem like they don’t count but are key steps toward better eyesight. Remember, the goal is to take the small steps (and if you do it outdoors do it with sunglasses) to #BeBetterEveryday.