As a professional driver, you know how important good vision is and that an eye disease could mean that you are unable to work. There are several tips that you can follow in everyday life to preserve your vision. Many of them are connected with simple habits.
Sunglasses not just in summer
You can do something good for your eyes by protecting them from UVA and UVB rays. You won’t feel sunburn on your cornea, but it can still lead to eye diseases years later and affect your vision. So you better take precautions. Sunglasses with CE mark category 2 are best suited for our latitudes. If you drive a lot in southern countries, in the mountains or near water, you can also choose category 3 (the category name is in the earpieces).
Sunglasses are not only compulsory in bright summer light. Water and snow reflect up to 90% of sunlight, so driving in winter or in snow-covered mountains and near the water can also be exhausting for the eyes. Incidentally, the ideal pair of sunglasses reaches up to your brows and also covers your entire field of vision from the side. If necessary, combine them with a cap that prevents the sun from shining in diagonally from above.
The eye must not become too dry.
If you have problems with burning, itchy eyes, they are probably too dry. There are several triggers for this:
- Draught – do not drive with the window open as the draught may affect the moisture balance of the eyes.
- Smoke – stop smoking in the driver’s cab; smoky air dries out the eyes (smoking also constricts the vessels, including the fine veins in the eye, and can easily affect your vision – tobacco toxins also damage the optic nerve and retina)
- Blower – make sure that the airflow from the blower is not directed at your face.
- Stale air – ensure sufficient ventilation of the driver’s cab during your breaks
- Infrequent blinking – if you blink, the tear fluid is distributed evenly over the eye; if you look rigidly at the road or try to keep your eyes open when tired, you blink too seldom – try to consciously blink every few seconds
Eye drops can help
If you are struggling with dry eyes, despite following the above tips, you should use eye drops during your breaks. These spread like tear fluid over the entire eye and keep it moist and healthy. Important! If you feel that your eyes are getting dry while driving, be sure to stop before using the drops!
The right diet and exercise
Eating the right diet can help you preserve your vision. It should be balanced, healthy and rich in vitamins A and C. Make sure that you eat plenty of vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, green beans, spinach and sprouts or green cabbage. This also helps you to keep your weight in a healthy range, which in turn is conducive to the health of your blood vessels – in case of an impairment, it can easily lead to eye diseases.
To boost the production of tear fluid, you need omega-3 fatty acids. The body cannot produce these itself. They are mainly found in fish, which is why you should add salmon, herring, mackerel, trout etc. to your menu from time to time, but also in walnuts, linseed and numerous vegetable oils.
By exercising regularly you ensure good blood circulation and therefore also prevent eye diseases. If you are already using sport to combat your back pain anyway, you already know how to integrate the exercises into your everyday life. Exercise also helps with relaxation and sleep – which is also important for the health of your eyes.
Summary: Holistic approach to sight
You can and should protect your eyes with sunglasses and eye drops, but a healthy lifestyle is still the best way to preserve your sight. In addition to protection from light and draughts, the most effective way to prevent eye diseases is through exercise, a balanced diet and not smoking. This way you pass the next eye test with flying colours!