You never tend to think too much about your eyes when you are not experiencing any problems and in fact, like many of us, you probably just take them for granted provided you don’t see any noticeable or obvious changes in your vision.
But, did you know that in order to ensure you maintain healthy eye function, it is recommended that you should have a full eye check up at least every two years?
Yep, that’s right. It might seem like a chore and you’re probably already thinking that your eyes are perfectly fine, but actually a regular check-up can do one of two things:
Firstly, it will ensure that your eyes remain in perfect health. This is vital because, despite what you may think about your own eyes being perfect, some eye conditions such as glaucoma are actually symptomless and can therefore not be identified without an eye check up. It’s no different than going to a dentist for a teeth check up essentially.
Secondly, a bi-annual check-up is the best way to check for changes to your existing prescription, because a subtle change to your prescription might not be immediately obvious to you.
But apart from having regular check-ups, which seems pretty obvious when you think about, below is Essential Eye Health Advice from Optilase:
Look into your family history!
As with other health problems, some eye conditions are hereditary so you should check to see if there is a history of any eye conditions in your extended family. This of course applies not only to you but also to your children: be vigilant in noticing any eye complaints and ensure that any red flags are addressed as early as possible.
Wear sunglasses
Yes, it’s another obvious point but believe it or not, many people do not wear sunglasses when the sun is shining. And just as your skin needs protection in the form of sunscreen, your eyes too need protection against strong sunlight. Make sure that you buy a pair of sunglasses that have the CE or BS EN 1836:2005mark as that way you will ensure protection against both UVA and UVB rays.
Treat your lenses with respect
You may find that the longer you wear contact lenses for, the less attentive you become when it comes to looking after them and by extension, your eyes. In fact, forgetting to take your contact lenses out in the shower or in bed, for example, can lead to infection and therefore cause serious damage to your eyes. Remember…contact lenses are there to help your eyes but they require some basic daily maintenance and care to enable them to perform for you.
If your eyes are directly at risk by virtue of a dangerous activity, protect them!
Another pretty obvious one for you but again, this is one that many people forget about owing to complacency and carelessness.
So, put very simply, if you are exposing to your eyes to danger (for example, working on a physical task whereby objects are at risk of flying into your eyes), be sensible and wear goggles or a face mask that protects your eyes.
And finally…..stay in good general health and your eyes will benefit too!
Your eyes, like every other part of your body, benefit hugely from you enjoying a healthy, nutritious and balanced diet. Eating green vegetables and ensuring you get plenty of your required daily Vitamins (especially C and E which are great in preventing age related vision problems including cataracts) will help to keep your eyes healthy and well.
Interested in finding out about laser eye surgery?
If you are interested in finding out more about laser eye surgery then why not avail of a FREE consultation with one of our Laser Optometrists?
At absolutely no cost to you, one of our team will carry out a full eye health exam and assess whether you are a suitable candidate for laser eye surgery.
Call us today on +353 1 223 8821 or fill out the contact form on this page.
