10 Everyday Things You Can Do to Protect Your Eyes (2025)

The benefits may be two-fold. First, exercise is believed to decrease your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure, all of which can contribute to cataracts. Cardio may also lower intraocular pressure (the pressure in your eyes), increasing blood flow to the retina and optic nerve. To achieve vision-boosting effects, you don’t have to break much of a sweat: IOP can be lowered with a brisk, 20-minute walk a minimum of four times a week.

4. Get the right amount of sleep

Yes, bloodshot eyes and puffy lids can be the unattractive consequences of a lack of shut-eye, but not getting enough rest can play havoc with our eye health, too. Sleep is the time when fluids circulate and hydrate your eyes, refreshing them for the next day. Get less than five hours of slumber a night and you may experience side effects ranging from light sensitivity and blurred vision to dry eye and involuntary twitches (known as myokymia) that occur when the muscles around the eyes are not getting enough rest.

5. Give your eyes a break

If you’re staring at a computer screen or doing another task that requires visual concentration, take frequent breaks to give your eyes a rest. Try the 20-20-20 rule: Look away from the screen every 20 minutes, focusing on something 20 feet in the distance for at least 20 seconds. “Get into the habit of blinking every few seconds,” says Thau. “Make sure that your upper and lower lids are truly touching, not a halfway blink.” This will help spread a fresh layer of tears over the surface of your eyes.

Glare can strain eyes, making it difficult to see objects on your monitor. Consider turning off some of the overhead light or placing an anti-glare cover over the screen. Keep the screen about an arm’s length away, and make sure it’s at the right height. “Our eyes do best when the top of the monitor is at eye level and we’re looking down into the screen,” says Thau. You won’t have to open your eyes wide when viewing the screen.

6. Practice good eye hygiene

No matter how tired you may be, remove all traces of eye makeup before bed to prevent morning-after irritation. “Makeup can clog your oil glands, and when they’re clogged they are not producing oil,” says Nichole Moos, an optometrist affiliated with VSP Vision Care. “Tears evaporate, and that also drives dry eyes and inflammation.” Clean and gently massage your lids at the base of the lashes with a washcloth and baby shampoo (or a mild cleanser like Cetaphil), diluted with warm water, to loosen any debris that’s collected around the lids during the day. Even better, pick up a package of pre-moistened lid wipe or an over-the-counter scrub designed for lids and lashes, such as OCuSOFT.

And don’t let yourmakeuphang around for too long. Preservatives can break down, allowing bacteria to grow — leading to irritation or, worse, a nasty infection. Many cosmetics have an expiration date or a period-after-opening (PAO) symbol, which tells you how long a product is safe to use after it’s been opened. But remember, a product can go bad before it reaches that date. If something seems “off” with the formula — say, a funky smell or a change in consistency or color — toss it immediately.

People who wear contact lenses need to be especially careful about keeping them clean. Dirty lenses can cause eye infections, so clean them nightly, then rinse them using a sterile salinesolution before inserting them in eyes. (In one eye-opening survey, contact wearers admitted using lemonade, beer and butter to clean their lenses!) Rub the lens gently with your index finger in the palm of your other hand to remove surface buildup, then let it air dry. And don’t forget to wash and dry your hands thoroughly before handling those tiny pieces of plastic. Your contact lens case should be replaced every three months.

7. Get regular eye exams

“We recommend a general eye exam every one to two years,” says Merina Thomas, M.D., a retina specialist and ophthalmologist at Oregon Health & Science University. “If you have a family history of eye disease, especially glaucoma or MD, you should get an eye exam once a year.”

However, a Harris/AAO survey found that while almost 70 percent of adults see a primary care physician or family medicine doctor regularly, just 52 percent of those polled see some type of eye care professional on a regular basis. That’s problematic, since age-related eye diseases — such as cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and macular degeneration — are more treatable if diagnosed and treated early. “The most silent common blinder of losing sight without any symptoms is glaucoma,” says Grover. “It’s asymptomatic and a silent thief of vision. But when caught early and treated appropriately, it’s highly preventable.”