Eye care 101: Basic facts you should know from Optilase

As our lifestyles get busier than ever, sometimes eye health can take a back seat. Optimum eye health throughout your life can be achieved by ensuring you are doing your part.

Vision is one of - if not the most - important of the five senses. It doesn’t take much to damage your vision, but it also doesn’t take much to preserve it. Learn what you can be doing to ensure your eye health stays stable throughout your life with Optilase.

• Optometrists are the principle providers of eye examinations to the public in Ireland. They are fully qualified to check the health of your eyes, and they can also provide you with a prescription for glasses or contact lenses.
• You need to achieve a certain standard of vision to be eligible to drive. Your optometrist can confirm whether you do so.
• Certain occupations and trades require specific visual standards. Your optometrists can inform you of these standards.
• Many eye conditions are hereditary, so it is important to be aware when a relative is diagnosed with an eye condition.
• Children should be examined at a young age – if they have an uncorrected problem for a significant length of time, they may develop a permanent reduction in vision in one or both eyes. Appropriate vision correction before the age of 7 is the best way to avoid this long-term visual problem.
• It is recommended that you have your eyes checked at least every two years and more often when your optometrist advises. Some patients with underlying medical issues, like diabetes, need to be checked at least once a year.
• Certain medications can affect your vision and the health of your eye. For example, some malaria tablets can damage the macula, which gives you sharp central vision; prolonged steroid use can speed up the development of cataracts. Your optometrist can advise you of any ocular side effects of medication you may be taking.
• Using a computer for long periods throughout the day can have a negative impact on your eyes. If you spend a lot of time on a computer for work, you may be eligible for a free VDU (Visual Display Unit) eye test on a regular basis.

Things to get checked out immediately
See your Optometrist if you experience any of the following signs or symptoms:

• Eyelid lumps or bumps
• Sudden loss / reduced vision
• Stingy / itchy /red eye
• Flashing Lights
• Double Vision
• Blurry Vision
• Unexplained headaches
• Flaky/ red eyelids

Thinking about laser eye surgery? Contact Optilase now by calling +353 1 223 8821 or email info@optilase.com.