Follow these eye care tips to prevent harm to your eyes.....

Kinds of allergies:
1. Seasonal: occur in particular season, from early spring to fall due to allergens like pollen from grasses, trees, and weeds, as well as spores from molds.
2. Perennial: occur throughout the year  due to exposure to dust mites, feathers (as in bedding) and pet hair. Also, maybe due to perfumes, smoke, chlorine, air pollution, cosmetics, and certain medicines.

Q1. how do you get rid of pink eye before it gets really bad?
Viral conjunctivitis: According to Dr. David Sachs, "Pink eye is almost always caused by a virus. True bacterial conjunctivitis is actually extremely rare. Because of this antibiotics typically do not help pink eye and unfortunately you just have to let it run it's course. Lubricating drops and sometimes steroid drops can help with your symptoms. That being said there are many causes of a red eye and you should see your eye Dr for further evaluation.

With aging, we begin to suffer loss of vision, cataract, muscular degeneration and night vision problems. There are several nutrients which help to protect our eyes such as Beta Carotene, Vitamin C, plus Zinc, Omega 3 Fats and Vitamin E.

1. Up Your Antioxidant Intake: People with low levels of antioxidants are more likely to develop age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Include vitamin C (in citrus fruits, kiwi and broccoli), vitamin E (in vegetable oils, nuts and avocados) and lutein and zeaxanthin which help to form macular pigment that filters out some of the sun’s damaging rays. (in leafy greens, such as spinach, kale and collards)

2. Eat Beans: Beans ranging from kidney beans to chick peas and lentils are a great source of zinc that releases Vitamin A to your diet. Deficiency in Zinc leads deterioration of macula, in retina. Zinc is also present in beef and poultry

3. Eat (Whole) Eggs: Egg yolks are also rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, but many of us avoid eggs because we’re worried about their cholesterol content. Research has found that when people ate eggs, as many as two daily—they significantly increased the levels of lutein and zeaxanthin circulating in their bodies without boosting LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels.

4. Eat more Sea Foods: people who ate at least two servings of fatty fish (such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring or trout) per week were about one-third less likely to develop advanced AMD than those who didn’t.
Omega-3 fatty acids—esp. DHA—in fish are key components of the nerve cells in the retina. "DHA is found in much higher concentrations in the retina than in other parts of the body, thus, a deficiency may trigger AMD." says scientist Elaine Chong, at the Eye Research at University of Melbourne, Australia.

5. Wheat germ: It is a big source of Vit E, that decreases the development of cataract and muscular degeneration. Almonds, hazelnut and sunflower seeds are also a great source of Vitamin E which keeps your eyes healthy.

6. Broccoli, Spinach & carrots are very important for eyes. They have nutrients which reduces muscular degeneration and loss of vision. They are rich in vitamins to promote eye health.

7. Take Vitamin supplements: Taking high-dose supplement form, provides several nutrients that may help to reduce the risk of AMD greatly. Research trials has shown 10 mg of lutein (the equivalent of about 3 cups of spinach), 2 mg of zeaxanthin and 1 gm total of EPA and DHA (approx. about 3-oz serving of salmon) is effective. Note: Always take advise of your doctor.

8. Eat Turkey: is effective in warding off cataract. Loaded with zinc and vitamin B, this meat is a terrific food for your eyes. It tastes best in burgers and salads. 

10. Keep Your Blood Pressure &Weight in check: People with high BP are more likely to have AMD, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, as increased pressure damages blood vessels, reduces blood flow to the eyes, making it harder for nutrients to reach the retina and removal of damaging debris from the eyes. Excess wt is also harmful as extra fat tissue can “sink” some eye-protective nutrients, making them less available to the macula.

A set of simple eye exercises can help you improve eyesight & keep your eyes healthy. The reduction of vision due to aging is called Presbyopia; it is due to slow thickening & loss of flexibility of the lens in the eyes. Daily eye exercises can help to keep muscles flexible & the lens mobile.

1. Focusing on distant object: Simply stare at something in a distance every 1/2 to 1 hr, for 10-30 sec. Just look at some object in the next room or at something at a distance outside your window. It helps eyes to focus on far away things & prevents them from becoming used to focusing only on closer objects. It helps to cure short sightedness.(read at http://www.eruptingmind.com/tips-to-improve-eyesight/)

2. Rotation of the eyeballs: helps loosen eye muscles & improve blood flow; it thus increases the level of oxygen,  improving vision.  Rotate your eyeballs in a clockwise and then an anti-clockwise direction. Repeat this 10 to 15 times with moments of relaxation in between.

2. Look side to side & up /down: Imagine a clock in front; Move your eyes from 3 to 9 o’clock for 15-20 times, next move your eyes from 12 to 6 o’clock, 15-20 times.  Finally rotate the eye around the clock in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions few times. After doing this, close your eyes and rest for a while.

3. Thumb Exercises: Stretch your left arm in front & focus on the thumb nail. Now follow the nail as you move your arm to the left till you can no longer see it. Then follow it back to position. Now repeat with right arm. Do the exercise 3 times with each arm.

4 Distance Focus: Look at your finger or a pen & then look at a distance with only one eye at a time (keep 1 eye closed)Repeat 10-30 times with each eye. Helps to improve focus.

5. Palming to reset the vision: when eyes feel tired and vision become blurred, rub both your palms together for 3 to 4 min. till they warm up & place them on your eyes fully covering them such that fingers are resting on the forehead. See the darkness inside your palms and feel the warmth of your palms. Repeat several times.

Dark circles can be due to allergies, dehydration, lack of sleep & most of all AGEING!! Taking Vit K capsules can reduce dark circles as it has antioxidants that strengthens the muscles of the capillaries under the eyes. You may also apply eye gel/cream having about 5% Vit K, under the eyes before sleeping.