How do I keep eyes healthy?

[Rasel Ali (IT)]

India is home to one third of the world's blind population and these numbers are expected to go up further. Unfortunately, more than 80% of the blindness and visual impairment is either preventable or treatable.

I, as an Ophthalmologist, partly feel responsible for this and on occasion of World Sight Day would like to play my part in educating people about how they can help themselves and others.

And so I decided to answer this question with whatever knowledge I have to offer.

There's no single mantra for keeping your eyes healthy, but one should keep the following things in mind.

    If you have a refractive error (implying that you have a spectacle power that helps you see better), use your glasses.
    If you use contact lenses, maintain proper hygiene. Clean them before and after using and use only the designated solution. Never ever use tap water. Do not sleep with your contacts on. If you use daily or monthly disposable lenses, use them only for the designated period. While quite often people would get away scratch free even without following the above rules, once it happens, trust me, the consequences can be devastating. It's better to be safe than sorry.
    If you've a child or a younger sibling who has the need for glasses, do not take it lightly. Wearing appropriate spectacle correction is absolutely necessary for young kids, failing which they can develop amblyopia (commonly known as lazy eye). And if that's not treated at an appropriate age (that's usually the early childhood years), it can result in permanent visual impairment. And there's no cure for it.
    If your child has a deviation or a squint, or frequently rubs their eye, consult an Ophthalmologist.
    For adults who use commonly available over the counter medications for occasional redness or itching in their eyes, don't. They usually do more harm than good. A common culprit is the easily available eye/ear drops (like ciplox-D), which contains steroids. They can cause problems like corneal infections and glaucoma. For those who are wondering, yes, such drugs are easily available over-the-counter in India.
    I don't even want to start on the numerous ayurvedic/homeopathic/alternative medicines available out there. Without naming or giving any example, please avoid them. I've witnessed quite a number of patients presenting with problems after using such eye drops.
    If you have diabetes or hypertension, the best thing is to keep it under control. But it's extremely important to get regular eye check-ups for people suffering with these problems. It's recommended to get 'atleast' one check-up ‘annually’ and this is for people who have no changes of diabetes in their retina. For people who suffer from diabetic retinopathy, the ophthalmologist would advise check-ups based on the severity. More here: Ritika Mukhija's answer to How can diabetic patients save their eyes from retinopathy?
    If unfortunately you've glaucoma, understand that it's like the hypertension or diabetes of the eye. You have to take medications regularly. Never, under any circumstance, stop or change the medications without consulting your Ophthalmologist.
    Unlike commonly believed, you do not need to splash water in your eyes to wash them. Our eyes have a perfectly good system to regularly drain out the unwanted substances. Of course, in case something goes into your eyes, like a dust particle, you can wash them, but washing daily does no good and may even harm your eyes.
    If, by accident, you've any chemical spillage in your eye, you should immediately wash it. I can't stress more upon the term immediately. If you have distilled or drinking water around that's great, if not use tap water. And then rush to the nearest eye doctor.
    Eat healthy. As for any organ of your body, it's important for the eye as well.
    This one is not for you, but for others. Please please pledge to donate your eyes after your death. Our country has millions of corneal blind people who can benefit from a corneal transplant and that can change their lives. I've written more about it here. Ritika Mukhija's answer to What happens next with the donated eyes?

Source : https://www.quora.com