The World Health Organisation suggests a ratio of 1:50,000 between ophthalmologists and individuals in a country. However, there are a little over 700 fully certified professionals for practice in Nigeria.
Don’t Smoke
Oxygen diffuses across the cornea from the air because the cornea is avascularised and devoid of blood or lymphatic vessels. Thus, the smoke and minute particles are absorbed as well. The nicotine inhaled while smoking does disrupt natural sleep patterns which could cause fluids to collect beneath the eyes, wrinkles the eyelid bags and alters the lens structure of the eyes.
Use protective eyewear during activities that may be deleterious to the eyes
Ensure to protect the eye from incidents that could lead to particles striking the face such as dust, metal chips, and wood chips after using power tools.
Ensure the hands and contact lenses are clean before wearing them
Avoid using dirty hands or lenses as they increase the risk of reddish eyes, eye inflammation and infection.
Eat nutrient-rich meals
It is replete with vitamins A, E, and C as they limit damaging oxidation and prevent conditions like glaucoma and macular degeneration, Zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids. Also eating healthy meals reduces the risk of obesity and diabetes. As diabetes increases the chances of eye-related maladies.
Know your family history and go for checks routinely
Some eye diseases are hereditary, with over 350 eye ailments linked to genetic dispositions such as achromatopsia, and short and far-sightedness. Hence, it is crucial to find out who has had what in the family so as to determine the likelihood of developing one as well as taking proactive steps.
Give your eyes a rest after an intense or long-term stare
If you spend a lot of time concentrating on an activity, you sometimes don’t blink to relax the eye muscles as much as you ought. Thus, to reduce eyestrain try the 20-20-20 rule wherein you look 20 feet farther from your location for 20 seconds after 20 minutes of focus. For want of time, you may close the eyes for 15 seconds after every 30 minutes of screen viewing and rapidly blink to coat the eye with some layer of moisture.
Always rest your eyes when you get a tingly sensation
After staring at screens for a long time, be farther away from bright light as much as possible. The eyes should recover by gentle blinking. Each blink spreads a thin layer of oil, tears, mucus and oil over the cornea as a means to protect it.
Be conscious of every contact between your fingers and your eye
Excessive rubbing of the eye can alter the curvature of the eyeball, and increase the transmission of germs, dirt, sweat and other dead particles which could be lurking at the corners of the eye.
Regular eye checkup
Do visit an ophthalmologist at least once a year, for tests to determine the strength of your vision, and how healthy the eyes are or to report an eye-related situation.
Adjust the room lighting
Do well to ensure that the light in your current location is not too bright, especially during work hours, sleep or periods of intense concentration Avoid sitting with your back facing an open window so as to reduce the light intensity from your screen. Increase font sizes, and adjust the ratio of contrast to brightness so as to make reading less stressful.
