Tips for astigmatism prevention

Except for hereditary health problems, almost all kinds of medical conditions can be prevented if enough care is taken. Astigmatism falls into this rule. As a form of refractive error, astigmatism can be hereditary and acquired. While the former type is unavoidable, the latter kind of astigmatism deserves good care about the eyes. Taking good care of the eyes can help minimize the potential astigmatism treatment in the future. In addition, good eye care is also closely related with other eye conditions, e.g. myopia and hyperopia. There are some tips for astigmatism avoidance.

Avoid eye strain and stress

First and foremost, eye strain is the worst enemy, which will quite easily lead to visual defects especially refractive errors. All of the three main types of eye conditions stated above are highly associated with eye strain resulted from excessive eye use. Too much eye strain can lead to a faster rate of wear and tear that could damage the eyes in the long run. This is really noticeable that all individuals should pay enough attention to even daily subtle activities such as watching TV and reading materials. During these ordinary activities that require visual concentration, intermittent rest should be kept in mind. Periodic breaks from visual tasks can relieve the strained eyes.

Read in an appropriate lighting environment

In addition to proper rest, the eyes also need appropriate light during reading. Environments with either too little or too much light should be avoided. The eyes are truly advanced and powerful that they can adapt to different degrees of darkness and brightness. However, such kind of compensation on a regular basis would cause the eyes to get strained more easily. Inappropriate lighting conditions can affect one’s vision. In particular, reading newspapers and books in a dim environment is quite harmful to the eyes. On the contrary, excessive light perception will cause eye strain more easily.

Avoid eye rubbing

Furthermore, avoid rubbing the eyes in any circumstances. Even if it is difficult to control the impulse of rubbing or scratching anything that itches, doing this can help people protect the eyes from any possible damage. Some people may doubt the link between this tip and astigmatism prevention. Well, astigmatism is caused by irregular corneal surface or more exactly corneal abnormality. Excessive eye rubbing definitely increases the risk of hurting the eye’s cornea.

Some other tips

Another tip for astigmatism prevention is to eat healthy foods which contain much vision-beneficial substances, e.g. vitamin A, vitamin D, lutein and zeaxanthin etc. Fruits and vegetables are widely recommended. Moreover, many eye care practitioners suggest that doing eye exercises every day is helpful in preventing visual refractive errors. Some others even believe their effectiveness on vision improvement.