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Eye Care Products To Keep Your Eyes Healthy

Written by Dr. Stefanenko Irina Borisovna on Tue, 01 August 2023

Key Highlights

  • Eye care products are available in various forms like creams, gels, sleep masks, etc
  • Eye creams and ointments restore the skin's hydration
  • You should never share your eye care products with anyone
  • Sunglasses protect your eyes from cataracts
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The eyes are the organs that help us see the world. Various parts of the eye work together to take in light from the outside world and send visual information to your brain, which interprets what it sees. The importance of your eyes lies in making you capable of seeing and taking action.

What are the commonly occurring eye conditions?

Numerous conditions may affect how your eyes function. Some conditions cause eye pain whereas others cause low vision or vision loss. Conditions that affect your eyes include age-related changes in vision like macular degeneration, corneal diseases like optic neuritis, infections like conjunctivitis, blepharitis, a style, and injuries like a detached retina, corneal abrasions, congenital defects like cataract at birth, etc. 

Not all eye disorders are associated with the eyes alone. Some diseases like diabetes affect the entire body and cause diabetic retinopathy in the eyes. 

Eye products - do they help?

The eyes are delicate organs. The skin around the eyes is thinner than the rest of the body and often reveals the first signs of aging. Due to aging, the skin around the eyes also changes with alterations in its barrier, pigmentation, loss of elasticity, etc. 

Common Eye care productsEyelid bags or mild swelling and puffiness around the eyes is also a sign of aging. Considering the vulnerable nature of the skin around the eyes and its proximity to the eyes, non-invasive treatments or routines to keep the eyes healthy are preferred. 

Topical administration of drugs to the eyes is a well-established route for the treatment of eye conditions like dry eyes, conjunctivitis, keratitis, eye flu, etc. These include eye cream, eye gels, eye masks, etc which help to keep your eyes healthy and safe.

But whether it's an eye mask, eye cream, or eye gel serum, all three have one thing in common: they nourish and moisturize the eyes.

1. Eye creams

Eye creams are traditional moisturizers that offer humectant qualities and improve skin hydration of the skin around your eyes. They prevent evaporation water loss and smoothen the skin.  Some eye creams may also contain skin barrier repair ingredients. 

2. Eye drops

Artificial tears, often known as lubricating eye drops, offer moisture and comfort for dry eyes brought on by temporary conditions like being fatigued or being in a dry environment. This allows your tear film to protect the surface of your eyes more efficiently.

3. Eye gels

Because of their cooling action, gels are excellent for smoothing, refreshing, and minimizing puffiness in the morning. The majority of eye gels have a soft, smooth texture that blends well with makeup and doesn't cause eyeliner or mascara to budge.

4. Eye ointments

These are greasy mixtures of fats, waxes, oils, and hydrocarbons. Since they are anhydrous, they may contain little or no preservatives as there are minimal concerns for bacterial contamination in the absence of water. These also work as moisturizers and improve skin hydration. 

5. Sleep masks

Do you want to enjoy your beauty sleep? Then use a sleep mask. A sleep mask is a fabric eye mask used for sleeping benefits. For you to fall asleep, the environment needs to be a quiet and comfortable place, with no distractions like lights or loud music around. 

Eye masks create this peaceful environment for you. Wearing a sleep mask helps you create a calming, sleep time, and lets your brain recognize that everything is safe. Sleep masks can help you sleep faster and may increase the amount of sleep. This in turn benefits your health by improving your concentration and focus and reducing irritability. You can choose a sleep mask as per your personal preference.

6. Sunglasses

Sunglasses are usually underrated when it comes to protecting your eyes. But the ultraviolet rays from the Sun may damage your eyes. Our eyes are most vulnerable to the sun's ultraviolet rays in our teens, 20s, and 30s, although the damage usually doesn't show up until later in life. The sun's rays are especially intense near reflective surfaces. If you spend time near the water, the beach, or snow, the sunlight bounces off of those surfaces and goes right into the eyes. 

Protecting your eyes from the sun's damaging rays is a good strategy at any age. It is good to have glasses with both UVA and UVB protection. Also, look for polarized lenses; they reduce the glare from water, sand, and snow. You must 

encourage your kids to wear sunglasses so that their eyes are protected from the harmful UV rays, right from the beginning.

Drawbacks of eye care products

Most eye cosmetics are safe when used properly. However, it's important to be careful about the risk of infection, injury from the applicator, and the use of unapproved color additives in eye care cosmetics. Eye cosmetics are usually safe when you buy them, but misusing them can allow dangerous bacteria or fungi to grow in them. Then, when applied to the eye area, a cosmetic can cause an infection. In rare cases, women have been temporarily or permanently blinded by an infection from an eye cosmetic. 

Do not share your eye care products with anybody. Avoid applying eye care products while traveling since the risk of contamination is and in case of a sudden halt, you may injure your eyes. If an eye care product causes you irritation, stop using it immediately. See a doctor. Refrain from using any eye care products when you have an existing eye infection. Store your eye care products in a cool, and dry place to keep them intact.

How to take care of your eyes

The following steps will help you to take good care of your eyes.

Food with eye friendly nutrients1. Eat a well-balanced, healthy diet

Adding powerful vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals to your diet can improve your vision and overall eye health. Researchers have linked eye-friendly nutrients, such as lutein and zeaxanthin, vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc, to reducing the risk of certain serious eye diseases like age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. 

Many studies show that lutein and zeaxanthin reduce the risk of chronic eye diseases. Vitamin C lowers the risk of developing cataracts and when taken in combination with other essential nutrients, it can slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration and visual acuity loss. Omega-3 fatty acids are important for proper visual development and retinal function.

2. Maintaining weight & doing exercise regularly 

Maintaining a healthy weight is made easier by eating a well-balanced diet. Keep your weight in check and lead an active lifestyle. Obesity can lead to developing diabetes, which increases the chances of getting glaucoma or diabetic retinopathy. Exercise helps in controlling or preventing high levels of cholesterol, blood pressure, and diabetes and its related vision problems.

3. Quit smoking

Don't smoke. In addition to numerous other health issues, it increases the risk of developing cataracts, optic nerve damage, and macular degeneration.

4. Wear sunglasses

UV (ultraviolet) radiation from the sun might harm your eyes if you don't use the proper sunglasses. Your risk of cataracts and macular degeneration increases with excessive UV exposure. Choose a pair that blocks UVA and UVB rays 99 to 100%. When outside, wear sunglasses and avoid staring directly into lights.

5. Wear protective eyewear 

Eye protection is required for some sports, factory, and construction activities, as well as home renovation or repair projects if you want to avoid eye damage. Use protective or safety goggles when in contact with airborne or hazardous materials. Sports goggles with polycarbonate lenses or helmets with face shields will safeguard the eyes.

6. Take proper care if you wear contact lenses

Before putting in or taking out your contact lenses, thoroughly wash your hands. Additionally, follow the instructions for cleaning them and replacing them as mentioned.

how to prevent computer vision syndrome7. Reduce screen time

Long-term usage of a phone or computer screen can lead to dry eyes, blurry vision, headaches, and back, shoulder, and neck pain.

8. Take rest breaks

Follow the 20-20-20 rule. When using a computer for prolonged periods, it's possible to forget to blink, which can cause eye fatigue. To reduce that, after every 20 minutes, look away around 20 feet in front of you for about 20 seconds.

9. Give regular visits to eye doctor

All people, even small children, should get frequent eye exams. It enables us to see clearly and aids in eye protection. Additionally, disorders without symptoms like glaucoma might be found with eye exams. Early detection is important because this makes them easier to cure.

10. Eye exams and tests

To check for vision and eye issues, everyone has to have their eyes checked. Typically, children have a vision screening at school or at the time of a visit at their doctor's office. A vision screening is necessary for many adults, nevertheless. They require a thorough dilated eye exam because some eye disorders may not exhibit symptoms, so getting a thorough dilated eye exam is very important. Exams are the only way to identify many illnesses when they are still mild and easy to cure.

Several tests are included in the exam:

  • Glaucoma leads to loss of peripheral vision; therefore, a visual field test helps to check the peripheral (side) vision.
  • A test to determine visual acuity, which involves reading an eye chart from a distance of around 20 feet.
  • Tonometry measures the interior pressure of the eyes. It aids in glaucoma detection.
  • A refraction test is performed if one needs glasses or contacts due to a refractive error. To determine which lenses will provide you with the clearest vision, your eye care specialist will use this test to have you gaze through a device that has lenses of various strengths.

Conclusion

Eye health is an essential part of daily care that one needs to follow regularly. You must have figured out by this point in the article how crucial it is for us to have the required amounts of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. A healthy, balanced diet helps a lot in keeping eye problems at bay. Eye care products are your go-to solution to keep your eyes healthy. However, you need to choose them wisely and opt for those that suit you. Exercising and choosing proper sunglasses, and protective wear are also essential steps in taking care of our eyes.

Consult a doctor for regular eye checkups and tests, follow the 20-20-20 rule and avoid smoking. Hope this article helped you to know better about eyes, eye care, and eye care products!

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Dr. Stefanenko Irina Borisovna

Dr. Stefanenko Irina Borisovna Is a medical doctor based out of Ukraine. Dr. Borisovna graduated from the Vinnitsa State Medical University, in 1995. In between 1995-2000, Dr. Borisovna went on to further pursue her post graduation studying scientific activity from the Vinnytsa Medical University in Ukraine.

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1 Comments

  1. Aris Vision CDMX

    Fri, 30 June 2023, 8 months ago

    I appreciate you providing this helpful blog on how to look after our eyes because eye care is really important. Verify that eye care items are genuine before using them to prevent damaging effects on the eyes. If side effects develop, please visit your doctor.

    Reply
    • GHBY Team

      Wed, 19 July 2023, 8 months ago

      We fully agree with you views. Thank you for taking the time out to read and share your valuable opinion with us.

      Reply

    Leave a Comment

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    Our team of experts frequently monitors developments in the health and wellness field, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

    Current Version

    Aug, 01 2023

    Written By

    Dr. Stefanenko Irina Borisovna