Unusual tips to keep your eyes in perfect condition

Often ignored, the health of your eyes is greatly vital to your physical wellbeing. Here are some unusual tips that will help keep them in perfect condition
SNIFF YOUR MASCARA
Eye make-up that's past its best could cause eye infections or irritation. "The warm, dark environment of a mascara tube is a haven for bacteria to thrive," says optometrist Francesca Marchetti."Try sniffing your mascara and if it smells at all bad, ditch it. Bin a new mascara after three months. And always remove your eye make-up at night or you may develop blepharitis, an eyelid irritation."
USE EYE DROPS
Dry, irritated eyes can be caused by everything from computer use to cigarette smoke or windy weather. Plus certain drugs such as the Pill, antihistamines, beta-blockers and even the preservatives in some eye drops can contribute to DRY EYES. "Keeping your eyes well lubricated is key," says Francesca.
BLINK MORE
Blinking cleans the surface of your eye, helping to prevent infection. It also flushes fresh tears and nutrients over its surface to keep it healthy.When we're concentrating - especially on computers or smartphone screens -we don't blink enough. "Normally, we'll blink about 24 times a minute but when we're staring at a computer, this drops to about nine times a minute," says Francesca. "Use the 20:20:20 rule -every 20 minutes, look 20 ft away for at least 20 seconds and blink 20 times."
STOP SMOKING
"Smokers are four times as likely as non-smokers to develop macular degeneration (a leading cause of vision loss) and twice as likely to develop cataracts," says Francesca. "It's best to quit but if you find it too difficult, try an eye vitamin and mineral supplement which contains antioxidants to help combat damaging free radicals in cigarette chemicals."
BEAT THE BUGS
"If you use contact lenses, remove them before swimming, showering or using a hot tub. Wearing them increases the risk of contracting an infection from acanthamoeba - parasites that live in water," says Dr Blakeney.
DO EYE EXERCISES
A common symptom of age-related macular degeneration is noticing that straight lines start to appear wavy -or that there are patches missing from your vision. "When monitoring patients diagnosed with AMD, we typical ly provide them with a small grid to look at with each eye individually to detect early or sudden changes in vision vertically and horizontally," says Saj Khan, consultant ophthalmologist at the London Eye Hospital. "For patients who are not in formal regular monitoring, we recommend looking at the same point on a tiled wall or at both the horizontal and vertical parts of a door frame in order to achieve the same result."
TAKE A 20-MINUTE WALK
Studies have shown that exercise can reduce intraocular pressure (inside the eye which can cause glaucoma). "The benefit is seen with regular gentle to moderate exercise - try brisk walking for at least 20 minutes, fourfive times per week," says Mr Khan.
GET OUTSIDE
Studies indicat people who spend more time outdoors are far less likely to develop shortsightedness than those who spend most of their time indoors. It's thought it may be to do with the fact that dopamine is released in the retina by daylight.