If things feel like they are anything but normal, you’re not alone. Living through a quarantine during a pandemic is new to everyone. While the first thing you may want to do is panic, do your best not to.
What you can do is take a deep breath and try to remember that things won’t be like this forever. Easier said than done, but it’s possible.
If it feels like even getting out of bed is hard, here are some simple eye care tips you can follow during quarantine to make things a little easier!
Make sure your grocery list includes eye-friendly foods
It’s a myth that the best food for your eyes is carrots. Although carrots are good for your eyes, there are a lot of other eye-friendly foods out there! The next time you go grocery shopping, see if you can incorporate some of these foods:
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- Beans
- Tuna
- Flaxseed and flaxseed oil
- Artichokes
- Blueberries
- Red meat
It seems like an odd list until you understand why these foods are so good for your eyes! Foods like broccoli and spinach have lots of vitamin A in them. Vitamin A has been proven to help your vision.
Foods like beans and red meat have plenty of zinc in them, which helps your body absorb more vitamin A. Zinc also helps kickstart your immune system, which is never going to be a bad thing in the middle of a global pandemic.
Fish like tuna are especially good for your eyes because they contain omega-3 fatty acids, EPA, and DHA. If you ever find that your eyes feel dry, omega-3 fatty acids are the perfect thing to add to your diet, as they can help with dry eye symptoms.
Yes, it’s tempting to eat lots of junk food if you’re stuck inside with nowhere to go, but remember that your eyes need some TLC during this time as well.
Try to get enough sleep
Staying up until 2 or 3 am every night while you’re home during the COVID-19 pandemic? Your eyes are begging you to stop, and so is the rest of your body.
Sleep is the only time when your body can take the time it needs to repair itself. This is when your muscles can repair themselves, your eyes can rest, and your brain can get ready for the next day.
If you only get a few hours of sleep every night, you’ll start to notice the effects pretty quickly, if you haven’t already. For your eyes, in particular, not getting enough sleep can mean:
- Irritation
- Redness
- Discomfort
- Fatigue
- Symptoms of dry eye syndrome
- Eye spasms
- Eyestrain
If you want to avoid these uncomfortable side effects, do your best to get at least seven to eight hours of sleep every night. The easiest way to achieve this is to give yourself a set time to go to bed every night.
It’s not exactly glamorous, but you’ll wake up in the morning feeling more refreshed. The best part: your eyes will look and feel so much better!
Don’t sleep with your contacts in
As your normal habits go by the wayside, it can be tempting to just roll over and go to sleep without taking out your contact lenses. Don’t do this!
If you think that not getting enough sleep is bad for your eyes, sleeping in your contact lenses is much, much worse! Sleeping in your contact lenses can cause permanent damage to your eyes and vision.
The reason for this is wearing contacts prevents your eyes from getting enough oxygen. If your eyes can’t get enough oxygen, they’ll be irritated, red, and may even cause you pain.
But worse than this, sleeping in your contacts could result in scratching your cornea or suffering from a corneal abrasion. This could severely damage your vision permanently!
So even though you may want to, take the five minutes to get up, walk to the bathroom, and take out your contact lenses every night before you go to bed. If you think that you’ll forget, maybe reconsider wearing contact lenses during the pandemic and switch to glasses instead.
Reduce your screen time
In the middle of a pandemic, it seems absurd to ask people to reduce their screen time. But think about how much time you’re spending on digital devices every day.
Between your smartphone, tablet, television, and laptops, your eyes are taking the brunt of the abuse. Your eyes are not meant to stare at hours and hours worth of content on a daily basis!
Do yourself a favor and reduce your screen time. Do you need to binge-watch Little Fires Everywhere or The Great British Baking Show for six hours straight?
Probably not. Try to get outside and get some sunshine! Or walk your dog around the block. The point is, put your devices down for a few minutes and take a real break!
Spending too much time in front of screens can lead to computer vision syndrome. It can also culminate in symptoms of dry eye syndrome.
If your eyes feel dry, itchy, or irritated, take that as a sign to take a break. Use the 20-20-20 rule if you can!
Every twenty minutes, take a break from looking at the screens by focusing on an object that’s twenty feet away from you for twenty seconds. This quick trick can actually help reduce eye strain and gives your eyes time to refocus.
Drink enough water throughout the day
Feeling thirsty? This is your body’s way of telling you that you are dehydrated!
When you don’t drink enough water, it affects all parts of your body, including your eyes. If you’re feeling cooped up inside and listless, drinking more water can even give you more energy!
After all, human beings are made up of about 60% water, so it makes sense that drinking enough water is an easy way to feel better. How much water you should be drinking does depend on your age, but aim to drink at least 8 eight-ounce glasses every day.
If you drink more than that, great, but at the very least, try to drink that much to stay hydrated. When you stay hydrated, your body, including your eyes, benefits!
For one thing, when you’re hydrated, your eyes are less likely to dry out and cause you problems. Staying well-hydrated also promotes cardiovascular health, helps your body stay cool, makes your skin look better, and filters your body inside and out. It’s truly the elixir of life!
Concerned about how you can keep your eyes in their best shape even during quarantine? Contact Takle Eye Group in Griffin, GA to schedule an appointment!
