5 Natural Ways to keep your Eyes Healthy and Beautiful

Your eyes tell many things about yourself. Healthy and beautiful eyes enhance the face look and overall personality.  Sparkling and clear eyes are the sign of contentment and good health. 

However, unhealthy lifestyles, lack of proper sleep and the excessive use of mobile phones, laptops, and computers have adversely affected your eyes. Unhealthy eyes create many eye problems such as blurred vision, dry eyes, dark circles etc. 

Here are best 5 ways to keep your eyes always healthy and beautiful. 

1. Maintain water level

• Drinking sufficient amount of water and eating green leafy vegetables can keep your eyes hydrated. Increase fluid intake ensures proper blood circulation in the eyes. Consuming fresh fruit juice also keeps the eyes hydrated.
• Splash your eyes with normal water a few times a day to keep the water level in the eyes maintained. This also helps to re-energize the tired and dull eyes.
• Do not look on your computer or a smart phone screen for too long, frequently blink your eyes to maintain water level and to prevent them from drying. 

2. Eye exercise 

• Doing simple eye exercise can enhance the blood circulation to the eyes and gives you relief from eyestrain.  
• Move your finger in front of your eyes, vertically and horizontally. Move your eyeballs along with the movement of your finger. Regularly do this exercise for 10 minutes.
• Close your eyes, squeeze them, and then open your eyes swiftly and as wide as possible. Follow this exercise until water starts coming from your eyes. This drains the excessive fluid from your eyes. 

3. Rose water

• Rose water is the best natural cleanser for the eyes. It reduces the pressure around eyes and gives you soothing effect. 
• The antibacterial and antiseptic properties of rose water, reduce the stress, fatigue, and cool down your eyes. Rose water also reduces the puffiness beneath the eyes.
• Dip cotton in rose water, close your eyes and clean the area around your eyes with it. You can also soak cotton ball in rose water, place it on your closed eyes and leave for 10 minutes.

4. Eye massage

• Tenderly massage your eyes to improve the blood circulation and get relief from eyestrain.
• Rub the palm of your hands together aggressively to make them warm, now close your eyes, place warm palm on your close eyes, and feel the warm and soothing effect.
• Lightly dip your fingers in coconut oil, massage the area around your eyes using your finger. Massage inner and outer eye circles, eyebrows, and area under your eyes.

5. Cucumber 

• The presence of caffeic and ascorbic acid in the cucumber helps in storing the water in your eyes for a long time. 
• Cucumber reduces the puffiness, swelling and dark circles beneath your eyes and provides a glow to your eyes and skin.
• Lie down, place the two thick slices of cucumber on both the eyes and leave it on your eyes for at least 20 minutes to get the best results.

Eyelid Inflammation (Blepharitis): A common eye disease

Blepharitis is a common swelling of the eyelids involving the part of it where the eyelashes grow. It is the result of malfunctioning of miniscule oily glands situated at the end of the eyelashes. This causes irritation, inflammation and eyelids getting itchy. Multiple disorders and health conditions are held responsible for causing Blepharitis.

Blepharitis is often termed as a chronic condition because sometimes it is difficult to treat. It may be unpleasant, scratchy but normally does not affect the eyes permanently.

Symptoms

• Red and watery eyes
• Burning sensation in the eyes
• Red or swollen eyelids
• Shedding of the skin around the eyes
• Coated eyeballs upon awakening
• Sticky eyelids
• Unusual or regular blinking
• Subtlety to light
• Eyelash loss

Time for eye specialist to step in

If you have been experiencing Blepharitis symptoms for some time and things are looking any brighter, make an appointment with your eye specialist. You can also try cleaning the affected area and maintain hygiene.

Causes

There is uncertainty over the causes of Blepharitis. However, eye specialists have listed out some:

• Dandruff of the scalp and eyebrows known as Seborrheic dermatitis.
• Functional issues with the oil glands in the eyelids.
• Multiple allergies which include allergies to medicines, makeup or contact lenses.
• Acne medicine- isotretinoin can lead to augmentation in bacteria on the eyelids.
• It can be caused by a combination of other factors.

What if you have Blepharitis?

Unfortunately, if you suffer from eyelid inflammation, you may face:

• Problems with the eyelashes: Blepharitis is responsible for your eyelashes to grow abnormally or fall out.
• Eyelid skin problems: In response to long term Blepharitis, scratch marks may appear on the eyelids.
• Dry eyes or excessive tearing: Unusual oily stuff and other particles shed from the eyelid including flaking that can mount up in the tear film. Abnormal tear film restricts eyelids to function normally and interferes with the lubrication. This condition can cause irritation in the eyes further leading to dryness.   
• Problem wearing contact lenses: Because it interferes with eye lids’ lubrication, there can be issues wearing contact lenses.
• Chalazion: A Chalazion occurs when there is an impasse in one of the small oil glands at the end of the eyelid, just at the rear of the eyelashes. The gland is prone to get affected by the bacteria, which causes swollen, red colored eye. Chalazion is more active on the inside of the eyelid.
• Cornea injury: Frequent irritation from inflamed eyelids may cause an ulcer to grow on the cornea. Inadequate tearing could influence a corneal infection. 

Tests and diagnosis

Various tests and examinations are performed to diagnose Blepharitis including:

• Eyelid examination: Your eye specialist will closely examine eye lids and eyes. He/she may bring forth a magnifying glass to get a closer and clear look.
• Washing skin for testing: In some cases, your eye specialist will use a swab to collect a sample of oil or dust that accumulates on your eyelid. This sample is to check whether allergy is caused by bacteria or fungi.

Nature of this disease is it rarely disappears totally. However, you can easily manage the symptoms with rinsing your eyes with warm water, applying a warm compress etc. before booking an appointment with the doctor. 

Common eye problems in older age

Eye problems are common in older age and can seriously affect your quality of life. Many eye conditions are treatable, and some require urgent action. Here are some of the more common eye conditions:

1. Age-related cataracts: A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the front bit of your eye. The causes are unknown. However, certain factors like smoking, overexposing your eyes to sunlight, taking steroid drugs for a long time, a history of cataracts in your family or poor diet may all play a role. When you develop cataracts, you may notice a ‘glare’ in bright light or when you drive at night and you may have difficulty differentiating objects in low light.
2. Age-related macular degeneration: This condition affects an area in the back of your eye called the macula. You’re at higher risk of developing it if, among other factors, you smoke, drink more than four units of alcohol a day or have been exposed to lots of sunlight in your life. You may find that straight edges such as bookshelves or door frames look distorted, or that your vision is generally more blurred. You may also develop blind spots. Consult your ophthalmologist for more details.
3. Chronic glaucoma: In this condition you have an increased pressure in one or both of your eyes – often caused by fluid within your eye not draining away freely. You may not notice this problem at first, but if left for too long, glaucoma may permanently affect your vision (which is why the condition is known as ‘the thief of sight’).
4. Diabetes: Too much sugar in your blood can lead to chronic eye problems, with damage to the back of your eye (called diabetic retinopathy) being an important one.
5. Dry eyes: In dry eye syndrome (or keratoconjunctivitis sicca), your tears drain away or evaporate too fast. You may notice grittiness, tearing of your eyes and redness. We don’t know what causes dry eyes, but ageing, hormonal changes, illnesses and medicines are all thought to play a role. 

If you suffer from eye problems, consulting your eye specialist is usually best. Seek medical advice immediately if you notice any of these symptoms:

• You suddenly lose your vision fully or partially.
• You have a headache in addition to any visual symptoms.
• You can’t think straight in connection with your eye problem.
• You have a painful eye at the same time as loss of vision.