Good vision is important for a range of daily activities: driving, reading, working - the list goes on! That’s why people in their 20s and 30s should take a few easy steps to ensure their eyesight is at peak performance.

The occasional visit to your eye doctor in Malvern, St Kilda or elsewhere in Melbourne is a good way to ensure your eyes are in good health, but here are a few other tips for maintaining good eye health.

Eat a healthy diet

Yes, since we were kids we’ve been told to eat a balanced, healthy diet, and it’s as important for your eyesight as it is for other health aspects. A diet rich in leafy greens, vegetables, fish and antioxidants is good for vision. Fish like fatty salmon provide important omega-3 fatty acids that are important for the macula’s health - this is the part of the eye that’s responsible for our central vision.

A diet that is low in antioxidants and high in consumption of saturated fats and alcohol may cause free-radical reactions that are harmful to the macula. High-fat diets also contribute to deposits that constrict the arteries’ blood flow. Our eyes are incredibly sensitive to our high-fat diets, as they contain small blood vessels that feed on them.

Exercise

Exercise is important for blood circulation which, in turn, removes toxins and improves the oxygen levels in our eyes.

Healthy sleep patterns

There is a noticeable difference in our vision when we get all the sleep we need. Good rest supports healthy, sharp vision. We all know how blurry vision can be after a poor night’s sleep, so this is a good way to maintain daily vision strength.

Hand washing

Keeping your hands clean is especially important if you wear contact lenses. Before you touch your eye and put in/remove contact lenses, be sure to wash your hands with a mild soap and dry them on a towel without any lint. Bacteria and germs that come on the hands can cause eye infections, including conjunctivitis.

Avoid smoking

Smoking causes oxidative stress. Smoking is known to increase the risk of a range of health conditions as well as conditions of the eye.

Wear sunglasses

It’s important to protect your eyes from dangerous ultraviolet (UV) light. You should try and wear sunglasses with UVB and UVA protection when it is very sunny outside. You may also want to wear a wide-brimmed hat to reduce the amount of UV radiation moving around the side of your sunglasses.

Blue light & devices

The modern individual is using multiple devices each day for work and leisure. These devices expose our eyes to high energy blue light, which gets its name from the wavelengths emitted being closer to the blue part of the spectrum.

It’s a good idea to keep yourself around 20-24 inches from your computer screen, keep your computer screen around, if not slightly below eye level, adjust the lighting to minimise screen glare and continue to blink throughout long work periods.

Finally, take some time to look away from the screen while working, allowing your eyes to rest on something that is not a device.

Enjoy healthy eyes

Our eyesight is one of the most important bodily functions we take for granted. It’s so easy to think our eyes are always going to remain strong, sturdy and with clear vision. However, it’s important to maintain some healthy habits to keep our vision sharp and strong. The above-listed healthy habits are good for your vision as well as your overall health and wellbeing.