Introduction
Sensory organs play a vital role in accomplishing almost activity in your day to day life.
From enjoying the flavour of your favourite meal to looking at different objects in your surroundings, all these functions depend on how efficiently your sense organs perform.
Since the optimum performance of your sense organs is so crucial, therefore, you must know how to take care of them.
In this article, you’ll learn about the five sense organs, some conditions that can affect them, and steps that can help you keep them healthy for a prolonged time.
Sense of sight (eyes)
The eyes are the most important sense organs, and they have 256 unique characteristics.
They can focus on 50 different objects in a second, and 80 per cent of all your learning comes through the eyes.
Any impact on eye health can severely influence your life. A few conditions that can affect your eyes include:
- Cataracts: Cataract usually affects people around the age of 40 and above. Its symptoms – mainly cloudy and blurry vision, can take a long time to develop
- Diabetic retinopathy: Another eye condition that occurs due to fluctuating blood sugar levels. The early symptoms include difficulty in perceiving colours, floaters, and blurriness.
- Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD): ARMD mainly affects older people, causing blurry vision as an early symptom that can also lead to vision loss
Here’s what you need to do to keep your eyes healthy:
- Eat foods rich in vitamin C, vitamin E, and omega-3 fatty acids, e.g. leafy greens, vegetables & fruits
- Minimize eye-straining and keep blood glucose levels under control
- Consult your doctor if you persistently experience vision complications
Sense of taste & smell (tongue & nose)
Taste and smell go hand in hand. If you suffer ageusia (loss of taste) or hypogeusia (minimized sense of taste) you can also experience anosmia (loss of smell) or hyposmia (reduced sense of smell).
To make these senses strong, you can do the following:
- Maintain good oral hygiene
- Excessive salt can affect your taste buds. It can even cause high blood pressure. Try having salt in moderation
- Don’t stick to a particular food or diet. Try different cuisines once in a while
Sense of hearing (ears)
Hearing loss is becoming a common problem in India. According to research, around 63 million Indians suffer from an auditory impairment, especially senior citizens.
Some hearing loss problems include:
- Conductive hearing loss: The condition makes it difficult to hear soft or muffled sounds
- Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL): SNHL is usually permanent hearing loss that occurs when the inner ear structures are damaged. Ear infections can also lead to SNHL
The following tips can help minimize the risk of hearing loss:
- Protect your ears from loud noises. Use earplugs, avoid listening to loud music, and keep the television volume low
- If you experience any problem in hearing, consult an ENT specialist at the earliest
Sense of touch (skin)
Skin is the largest organ and makes up around 15 to 16 per cent of total body weight.
Your sense of touch can be affected due to old age or hypoesthesia – partial or complete loss of sensation in a part of the body.
Here’s what you can do to minimize the risk:
- Stay physically active to maintain healthy blood circulation
- Have nutrient-dense meals
- Clean your skin thoroughly
- Maintain adequate skin hygiene
Final thoughts
Healthy functioning of your sense organs is crucial for performing day to day activities such as learning, aiding your overall development, and much more.
Therefore, you must know about some problems associated with sense organs and a few measures that you can take to keep them at the top of their health.
Furthermore, opt for preventive health checkups. These health checks provide you with a comprehensive insight into your health, allowing you to take necessary precautions to maintain your overall well-being.
Disclaimer: This blog is purely informational. We strongly recommend you consult your doctor before you begin managing any condition based on the information given above.
