According to the World Health Organization, currently about 1 billion people in the world wear glasses or contact lenses, i.e. have some kind of vision problems. And the number of those who suffer from myopia is growing year after year. The reasons for this are in the peculiarities of the modern person's lifestyle, in the not always correct attitude to the health of their own eyes.

Meanwhile, the progression of myopia can be stopped, for which it is necessary to follow very simple rules - monitor the general condition of the body, spend more time in the fresh air, get enough sleep ... And, of course, take care of your vision directly.

Vision hygiene means a set of precautions that prevent the creation of conditions conducive to the development of myopia and other eye diseases. Such measures may include:

Maintaining the correct visual work regime
With prolonged and intense visual work at a close, fixed distance, the frequency of blinking decreases several times. The surface of the cornea "dries out", the tear film is renewed much less frequently. The resulting burning, stinging in the eyes, dryness, discomfort are the first signs of the emerging "dry eye syndrome". At the same time, prolonged tension of the visual apparatus, called "accommodation spasm", leads to a slowdown or even stagnation of the necessary metabolic processes in the structure of the eye and, as a consequence, the development of myopia. Most often, people who sit for a long time at the computer or with a smartphone face problems that arise due to non-compliance with the visual work regimen - eye fatigue, headaches, severe discomfort in the organs of vision. Such conditions are united under the general name "computer syndrome".

Visual gymnastics for vision.

Look at the tip of the nose, count 1-4, and then move your gaze to count 1-6. Repeat 4-5 times.
Look at your index finger, 25-30 cm away from your eyes, and on the count of 1-4, bring it closer to the tip of your nose, then look into the distance on the count of 1-6. Repeat the exercise 4-5 times.
Close your eyes tightly for a few seconds, open them and look into the distance. Repeat 4-5 times.
Keep your head straight. Blink, close your eyes and sit quietly for about 5 seconds. Repeat the exercise 4-5 times.
Look out the window at a very distant object and stare at it for 10 seconds. Move your gaze to your palm. Repeat the exercise 6-10 times.
Uniform lighting
One of the necessary conditions for normal visual work is good and, most importantly, correctly selected lighting.

It is very important to remember that the light on your desk should be installed in such a way that it is comfortable for your eyes. It should not be too bright, so as not to blind you, but not too dark, so that your eyes do not experience excessive strain during work. It is desirable that the lighting be uniform, eliminating discomfort when moving your gaze from a brighter object to a darker one. It is most advisable to combine local and general light, since using only local lighting it cannot provide the necessary uniformity.

If you work in an office, then you should use mixed lighting - daylight and artificial. It is desirable that the light streams are not perceived by the eye as separate. In addition, try to exclude various glare or reflective surfaces from your field of vision during work.

Compliance with the reading regime
During travel in transport, due to uneven roads, as well as when reading while lying down, under the influence of breathing, heartbeat, hand trembling, the book, magazine and the reader's eyes are in constant movement relative to each other. As a result, the eye, using the accommodation apparatus, has to constantly adjust so that the object of observation is always in the focus of maximum discrimination, which leads to rapid overstrain of the visual system, and if prolonged, to accommodation spasm. The distance to a book, magazine, newspaper should be at least 30-40 cm. Given the lifestyle of a modern person, all of the above applies equally to maintaining the correct mode of reading from the screens of various mobile devices - smartphones, tablets, etc.

Nutrition for the eyes
For the healthy functioning of the visual system, it is necessary for the eyes to receive sufficient and complete nutrition. Scientists advise eating antioxidants zeaxanthin and lutein more often, and also be sure to include docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids in the diet - and you should not be afraid of such complex names, all these substances are contained in the most common products.

Try snacking on apples, strawberries, broccoli, eggs and other foods that are sources of the aforementioned zeaxanthin and lutein. Salmon, mackerel, trout, etc., rich in docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids (otherwise known as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids) can be a great help in preventing not only myopia, but also other eye diseases. Pamper your eyes with products high in vitamins A, C, E, beta-carotene, and B vitamins.

Drink juices from fresh vegetables - beets, celery, carrots, as well as green and herbal teas with chamomile, thyme and oregano, not forgetting to sweeten them with a spoonful of linden honey, recognized by scientists as a literal treasure trove of microelements, useful for vision.

When thinking about your diet, it is worth considering that the amount of healthy foods consumed at one time is not as important as the regularity of their appearance on the table - after all, a person needs vitamins and other useful substances in the amount of only the daily norm, it is impossible to nourish the visual system for the future, in advance.