Healthy peepers during birding

Pic above: A white ring around the pupil (cholesterol ring)

Once again, we were back in FRIM. This time we went birding for a total of six hours. We managed to spot and identify about 20 species of birds. My favourite bird is the Black-bellied Malkoha (All the Malkohas have long tails and they usually fly in pairs). Another favourite of mine is the Lesser-racket Drongo (as you can see this male bird has two quill-like feathers for a tail).



Besides FRIM, we have also visited the forest trail in Kota Damansara. However, we did not spot that many birds there. We have better luck standing at the pond located just along the road where many birds such as the Asian glossy starlings love perching on dead tree trunks.

I totally need to get a good pair of bins (short for binoculars) as my current one seems to be making me dizzy. All these bird-watching is also taking its toll on my eyes. I guess it is probably due to all the eye-straining searches for these birds in the wild. Now back to the health part……….

If you noticed, when a baby is born, the white of the eyes are usually clean and clear. As we grow older, the daily onslaught of pollution, harmful UV rays, smoking, alcohol and lack of sleep may result in red blood vessels showing up in the white of the eyes. Some herbalists can pinpoint the disorders one is facing just by looking into the white of the eyes. Squiggly-looking blood vessels, yellow spots and sometimes brown spots can mean different things in the field of sclerology. You can also see white ring (or cholesterol ring) that encircles the pupil which usually means that the person is suffering from cholesterol build-up of the arteries.

Eyes are the window to the soul and having a pair of healthy peepers is important. Students, busy working executives as well as people involved in close work and hobbyists (esp those into birds, knitting, sewing and reading) should consider supplementation with herbal remedies such as Blueberries, Bilberries and kei chi (also known as wolfberries). In fact, all sorts of berries with dark purple bluish colours are fantastic for eye health as they contain an eye antioxidant called anthocyanin.

Many people simply consume these berries fresh, or make them into jams and as for the kei chi, the Chinese always love to add them into soups and ‘tong sui’ (a type of sweet beverage).

Follow these simple steps for management of eye strain and tiredness:

1. When traveling, it is advisable to stop for a rest or a short nap during a long drive. This will freshen you up before you hit the road again
2. Try exercising your eyes by moving them in a circular motion without moving your head. Do this after a long day of reading or computer use or every ½ hour of close work
3. Protect your eyes from strong UV rays with a pair of UV-coated sunglasses
4. Get your eyes regularly checked by an eye specialist
5. For those wearing contact lenses, do not wear disposable contacts longer than recommended.
6. Use eye drops to keep the eyes moist and always wash your hands thoroughly before taking out or putting in your contact lenses
7. Don't face the air-con vent directly as this will cause dry eyes.
8. Airplane travel often leaves your eyes dry. Humidity in an aircraft cabin is usually less than 20%. Apart from drinking lots of water to rehydrate the skin, limit the intake of alcohol and caffeinated beverages as they will cause you to lose fluids.
9. Wear glasses instead of contact lenses
10. Assess your work station to ensure a good ergonomic set-up. Ergonomically unfriendly office furniture may lead to eye strain
11. Monitor screens should be placed away from direct sunlight or use a glare filter