Eye, one of the five sensory organs, without which doing any work is unthinkable. Though eyes have so much importance in our daily life, not many people give proper attention towards their well-being and proper functioning. It is only when we see a severe problem, we consult a doctor or a specialist. Taking care of your body is one’s rightful duty, and if it is possible using Ayurveda, it is an icing on the cake.
Taking care of your eyes involves a proper healthy diet, some exercises, and some precautionary measures. There are also some herbs available which act wonders for your eyes. Follow some simple steps for healthy eyes and you could maintain ideal eyesight for the most of your life.
Diet: A proper diet helps in maintaining a healthy body. Eyes for their proper functioning especially require vitamin-A, whose deficiency could cause night blindness. Some common sources of it are milk, butter, cheese, eggs, and cod-liver oil. Also fruits and vegetables like papaya, mango, carrots, cabbage, and spinach. Carrots which have beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin-A, and cabbage help to nourish eyes when eaten raw. Consumption of vitamin-C also helps in prevention of cataract. It is present in guava, mango, orange, papaya, etc.
Conditioning: Condition your eyes regularly to keep them healthy. You can do this in the following way:
- Triphala is useful for conditioning eyes, mix it with water and wash your eyes every morning with the mixture. It is also prescribed for cataract treatment.
- Keep cucumber slices on your eyes before sleeping to avoid swelling.
- Babul helps in the treatment of conjunctivitis; its paste can be applied before sleep.
- Conjunctivitis can also be cured using coriander. Boil coriander leaves in water and use the solution to wash your eyes when cold.
- Marigold also when taken in water helps to soothe eyes and is also helpful for treating conjunctivitis.
- A drop of honey once a week also helps causes an irritation at first but cleans the eyes.
- Exercises: A common practice like blinking regularly helps. Keep your eyes closed and roll them in clockwise and anti-clockwise direction. Then in straight lines up-down and sideways. At the end rub your palms together till they are warm and place them on the eyes to give a soothing effect. Follow these exercises regularly for five minutes to calm your eyes.
- Precautionary measures: Do not strain your eyes during work or do anything that will. Like looking at far away objects, working in insufficient light. Prolonged exposure to high-intensity light or UV rays is also harmful. Do not stare at the sun, or use T.V. and computer for long hours. Take breaks of 10 minutes after every hour while working on a computer.
Follow these steps and you will be able to take care of your eyes in a proper way.