The windows to our souls

Our eyes are a great blessing from Allah. They let us see the rainbow in the sky, help us read a book, write an essay, admire a painting, choose colourful clothes and matching shoes, and help us navigate our way through a crowded park or street. Without eyes or good vision, the world would be a dark, blurred or a scary place. Eyes play a major role in our everyday lives and yet we do not pay much attention to their care. Children with vision problems can face a lot of difficulty in school, at home and in playgrounds. Let’s look at some common eye problems and how we can avoid them. Signs of vision problems Headaches while reading, writing or doing schoolwork and the need to keep the books and objects close to the eye while studying are some of the signs that you have vision problems. Another sign is that you have to squint or strain your eyes while reading small print or a distant signboard. If your vision gets blurred, you have red or watery eyes or you need to sit too close to the television to see clearly, then these activities also indicate that your eyesight is impaired. The biggest red flag is that you are unable to see the words written on the black or white board clearly from the back of the classroom. What to do? Poor eyesight can badly affect school performances, and reading and writing activities. It can also make you feel stressed or helpless. Tell your parents immediately if you have frequent headaches, feel eye pain and have difficulty in reading or focusing on words written on the classroom board. These are all signs of vision problems and a doctor should be consulted as soon as possible to stop further deterioration. If caught early and treated properly, eye conditions can often be corrected. Wearing eyeglasses is an easy way to reduce common problems associated with vision loss including headaches and eye strain. Choose funky frame designs and look cool! Preventing eye strain and injury • The room where you study should be well lit. • Do not stare into your computer monitor or the TV screens for long periods of time. Rest your eyes as often as possible. One tip to reduce eye strain is to keep the eyes closed for a few seconds after every 20 minutes of ‘screen time.’ • Doctors also recommend that you look at some distant object from time to time instead of staring continuously into the computer screen for hours. • Blink several times at regular intervals. This will help in better focusing. • Chemicals in the air, dust particles, and infectious agents like germs and bacteria can also harm our eyes. Wash your hands and face regularly, especially after coming home from school and playing outside to prevent eye infections. • If your eyes feel tired, dry or itchy, soak some cotton balls with cold water or rose water and place them over your closed eyes for a while. • The ultra-violet light in the sun’s rays can be harmful to our eyes. Wear protective sunglasses when going out into the sun especially in the summer days or shield your eyes with wide–brimmed hats. • Never use sharp objects carelessly. Knives, scissors, screwdrivers etc. should be handled very carefully. Some children play around with sharp pencils or place them near their eyes while studying. This habit is very dangerous and can cause eye injury. • A good night sleep is also essential. This allows your eyes to replenish their lost energy and be prepared for the next day’s work. Some grandma’s tips • Keep used tea-bags in freezer and place them over your eyes for preventing dark circles. • Cool cucumber slices and thinly sliced potato circles can also be used to refresh tired eyes. • Soak five to seven almonds overnight. Peel them and blend them with a glass of milk. This milk is an excellent tonic for the eyes. Food for better vision For better eyesight, eat fruits and vegetables that are rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Eat a variety of colourful and bright vegetables and fruits such as strawberries, mangoes, grapes, tomatoes, capsicum, melons, broccoli, dark leafy greens and carrots. Zinc and folic acid in the diet is also essential for good eye health. A handful of dry fruits like walnuts, pecans, dried apricots and almonds eaten on a daily basis can keep your eyes strong. Milk, egg yolks and mozzarella cheese are also excellent sources of nutrients for your eyes. Eye exercises • Do eye movements starting from up to down and then moving from left to right. Repeat eight times and do not move your head. Do not force your eyes further than they can go in any particular direction. • Stick out your thumb or hold a pencil in front of you at arm’s length. Move your arm slowly to your nose. Follow the pencil/thumb with your eyes. Repeat 10 times. • Focus on a distant object for 10-15 seconds. Then, slowly refocus your eyes on a nearby object without moving your head. Focus again for 10-15 seconds, and go back to the distant object. Do this five times. • When your eyes feel tired, close your eyes tightly for three to five seconds. Then open them for three to five seconds. Repeat seven to eight times. • Sit in a chair and look in front of you at the opposite wall. Pretend to write large alphabets on the wall with your eyes without moving your head. Did you know? • The most severe form of colour blindness is achromatopsia. A person with this rare condition can only see things in shades of grey. • In the most common type of colour blindness, people have trouble telling the difference between red and green. Men are more prone to colour blindness. • Deficiency of Vitamin A can cause night blindness. • Myopia causes a person to be nearsighted. Myopic person sees close up objects clearly, but objects in the distance are blurred. • Pinkeye is an eye disease most often caused by a virus or by a bacterial infection, although allergies and chemical agents can also play a role. • An optician is a person who makes glasses for remedying defects of vision. • An optometrist is a person skilled in testing for vision defects in order to prescribe corrective glasses • Ophthalmologist is a medical doctor specialising in the diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases. It is important to keep our eyes healthy so that we can enjoy seeing the world around us clearly even in our old age. Take care… because your eyes deserve it!