Your eyes are the windows to your world, so protecting them and keeping them healthy should be one of your main priorities. Many may take their eyesight for granted, but most of our daily activities utilize our sense of vision. Following proper eye care every day can help you prolong the health of your eyes.

In light of healthy vision month, here are some helpful tips that can help you maintain a healthy vision:

• Eat a healthy diet

You are what you eat, and what you eat affects and contributes to the health of your vision. If you eat a healthy diet, the nutrients can help us preserve our vision, and help protect our eyes from visual degeneration and cataracts that commonly occurs with age. Some of the essential nutrients needed are lutein, omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc. You can get these nutrients from taking multivitamins or by eating certain food. The food sources that can provide you with the needed nutrition are green and leafy vegetables, oranges, nuts, eggs, salmon, carrots, and tuna; so be sure to eat a balanced diet!

• Give your eyes a break

Your eyes are always working, so they deserve a rest. Activities such as working on a computer, or reading for a prolonged period of time can cause eyestrain, blurred vision, headaches, dry eyes, and can cause issues focusing. In addition, prolonged activities can also cause shoulder and neck pain. In order to prevent this, be sure to rest your eyes every 15-20 minutes and get a good night’s sleep.

• Wear sunglasses

Not all sunglasses are created equal, since not all sunglasses can provide you with adequate eye protection. When shopping for sunglasses, look for ones that have UV ray protection; this will help protect your eyes against too much sun exposure. Too much exposure can lead to cataracts and the degeneration of the macula, so whenever you are outside be sure to put on a pair of shades that feature UV protection.

• Avoid smoking cigarettes

Due to the nicotine content, smoking cigarettes can double your risk for macular degeneration, cataracts, and can cause damage to the optic nerve. Even though quitting is very difficult, it should be done if you want to preserve your quality of life and avoid vision problems in the future.