HOW TO KEEP YOUR EYES HEALTHY?
Preventive health expert Veli-Jussi Jalkanen’s comment, HS 11/2025
(https://www.hs.fi/mielipide/art-2000011558014.html)
Eye health is deteriorating rapidly, just like public health in general.
Organizations and doctors should provide broad and effective information about preventing eye problems, because in today’s unnatural screen-focused and passive health environment, problems only worsen.
The most important preventive measures are the following:
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Eat enough nutrients required most by the eyes, such as omega-3 fats (3 g/day), zinc, and vitamin A.
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Include eye-healthy foods in your diet, such as blueberries / very dark berries (1–2 dl per day) and vegetables and fruits containing carotenoids (yellow plant tissues).
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As you age, take supplements of lutein (10–20 mg) and zeaxanthin (0.5–1 mg).
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Maintain sufficient blood circulation to your head (your brain and eyes) by keeping your neck muscles relaxed. The most effective way to achieve this is maintaining good posture, ideally with a rocking saddle chair with a central gap. A pillow that does not press on the neck (max depth 18 cm) is also beneficial.
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Choose a font size and monitor position that is easy on your eyes—the screen should be at the right height (gaze about 5 degrees downward) and distance (50–70 cm), so that seeing feels effortless.
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Use only a high-quality monitor and replace it about every 5 years, since monitor quality deteriorates with age.
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Adopt eating habits that avoid fast carbohydrates, because the high blood sugar they cause damages microvessels not only in the brain but also in the eyes. Even common prediabetes—let alone actual diabetes—quickly harms eye health. At meals, eat starches and sugars after protein, fat, and vegetables. This order lowers harmful blood sugar spikes.
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Take movement breaks during the workday, 2–5 minutes of brisk activity that revives whole-body circulation. During these breaks, look at distant objects to let your eye muscles recover from the strain of near work.
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Tired eyes can also be treated with reflexology by pressing the eye-related points on the upper and lower sides of the first toe joint of the forefoot.
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Eye care can also be done with an electric acupuncture pen (price around 20 euros) by activating eight points according to an acupuncture chart 2–4 times per month.
Good eye health and avoiding eye risks is also good brain-health care.
I have besides my 74 years, I do not need glasses, even in tennis or using a needle 😊
