Eyes are the most important part of your body. They help us to see the external world and must be taken proper care of. Eyes convey what is visible in front of us to the mind and the mind in turn tells us about what object it is. Eyes warn us about fire, rain, danger, etc.

Eyes can be protected from the harsh rays of the sun by wearing dark glasses or sunglasses. These shade the eyes from the extreme brightness of the sun. Eye exposure to the bare sun can cause cataracts of the eye. A good night's sleep is absolutely essential for the proper functioning of the eye. You must wash your eyes with cold water just before you go to sleep as well as when you get up in the morning. This rejuvenates the eye and also cleans it externally. See that soap or shampoo does not get into the eyes. This will cause irritation of the eyes.

The simplest remedy when something gets into the eyes is washing with clean water. Pollution tends to take its toll on human beings and the eyes are also affected by the smoke in the city. People in villages and remote areas are likely to have better eyesight than the average city dweller.

Conjunctivitis is a common eye disease. You must visit the doctor and take the prescribed medicine. It is not advisable to use eye drops or other medicine on your eyes without the recommendation of the doctor.

Myopia and hyper-myopia are conditions of the eye commonly called short sightedness and long sightedness. These conditions are usually addressed by wearing spectacles. Rapid advances in science have made even spectacles old fashioned. Lenses are placed on the cornea and vision improves manifold. Proper care should be taken of the lenses. Lenses can be soft, semi-soft or hard. These have to be cleaned often to avoid irritability of the eye. Now there are even single use lenses. Lenses improve all round vision.

Proper care should be taken of the eyes at all times. They are our window to the world and deserve to be well maintained. Lighting should be placed behind you when you read something. Very bright lights should be shaded in order not to injure our sight. Pointed objects should not be handled, especially by children. Games like 'bow and arrow' should be discouraged. Goggles should be worn when swimming. Excessive chemicals like chlorine in the water are likely to harm your bare eyes.

Over and above all this, the most important point to note is that you should follow a nutritious and well balanced diet. You should eat raw vegetables like carrots which are supposed to do your eyes a world of gold. Spinach and collards are also highly recommended. Fresh fruits are always a bonus to your eyes and to your health in general. Oily snacks and fatty foods should be avoided. Sprouts supply your body with a whole lot of proteins. Greens and leafy vegetables should be eaten on a regular basis. An annual check up for the eyes is as essential as a yearly general check up of the whole body. Hours and hours spent at the computer can harm your eyes. If it is absolutely essential that you should be constantly looking at the computer screen, then you should take short breaks. Rest your eyes for a few minutes and wash with cold water. Rotate your eyes in all directions. Do not miss out on that all important factor, sleep.