Do you strain your eyes regularly? Are you someone who works for hours every day in front of computers? Do you spend more time on mobiles, television and computers than necessary? Well, it’s high time you take a pause and understand what’s good and what’s not good for your eyes. As one continuously strains their eyes, especially in the case of IT professionals, they gradually become susceptible to health and eyesight issues.
Your eyes are one of the most important organs of the body and often we tend to take it for granted, pushing ourselves to strain and pain. According to Ayurveda Kerala, most of the eye problems are a resultant of pitta imbalance. And people in the age group of 40’s should be cautious as an imbalance in vision governing sub-dosha of pitta, alochaka pitta, could tamper your eyesight.
During scorching heat of summer season, our eyes become light-sensitive, dry, red and irritated. Taking good care of your eyes is very much Ayurvedic Kerala recommended to keep your eyes cool, relaxed and healthy. And with other factors like stress, lack of sleep, unhealthy food habits, hormonal imbalances and reduced intake of drinking water, the health of our eyes get deteriorated.
Here are a few ayurvedic tips and remedies to maintain good health of eyes:
- Balanced Diet
The food you consume determines your eye health. Incorporate food that is rich in vitamins and nutrients like egg, almonds, carrots, orange, spinach, amla, broccoli, and food rich in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon, soybeans and mackerel. Omega-3 fatty acids are known to boost the production of the lubricating layer of your eyes.
Reduce or avoid spicy and salty food as these can lead to an imbalanced pitta dosha. Also, drink plenty of water and avoid cold, carbonated drinks, caffeine and alcohol. A balanced diet not only ensures good eye health but also helps in weight management for IT professionals whose work nature demands for less or no physical activity.
- Cleanse
Put a drop or two of organic castor oil twice a day which is free from preservatives and chemicals, as eyedrops. It is recommended due to its naturally lubricating and anti-inflammatory properties that provides relief from burning and itching associated with dry eyes.
Clean your eyes with cool water to flush out dust. Applying wet cotton pads with rose water over your eyes for ten minutes daily before bed or placing chilled cucumber slices helps in relaxing and soothing your eyes and also removes dark circles.
- Home Remedies
When it comes to treating common eye health problems, home remedies always comes in handy and are effective too. There are indeed many home remedies that can help in maintaining and achieving good eye health and some of them are:
• Apply raw aloe vera gel on your eyelids to treat dry eyes and its symptoms. It also protects your eyes from anti-aging, fungal and bacterial infections, and sunburn.
• Add 3-4 drops of essential oil like lavender or chamomile to a cup of warm water. Dip a clean washcloth in it and place it on your eyes for 10 minutes. Repeat this twice a day to soothe eyes and relieve from irritations.
• To treat eye inflammation, place grated or sliced potato on your eye for 15 minutes daily before bed.
• Indulge in massage or abhyanga on your eyelids with warm oil like Brahmi or coconut oil for 10-15 minutes before bed to de-stress your eyes. Practicing this before bed promotes good sleep giving sufficient rest for your eyes.
- Eye Exercises
Eye exercises are beneficial for relieving strain, strengthening eye muscles and improving vision. Practicing eye exercises daily in between work and before bed helps in maintaining good eye health.